Thankfulness!

"Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable His judgements and His paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?  Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him?  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever, Amen."        Romans 11:33-36

The Madison River after the fire last spring

 

Can something become more beautiful without changing?  Can some common event become more exciting though nothing has physically changed? 

 

I feel an overwhelming gratefulness to God for the privilege to live here.  I have lived all my life in Montana and have really taken for granted all that is here.  For example, a full winter snow storm in May? 

 

Normally this is a pain and inconvenience.  But when you are re-awakened to the wonder of things like snow, knowing you may not see it for a long time, you remember it is declaring praise to God!  "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow..." Job 38:22

 

Or a normal Caddis hatch on the Madison River .  I had the joy to take two hours and be surrounded by the wonder of 100,000,000+ caddis bugs swarming the river as the fish gorge themselves on a tasty treat.

 

 

 

As I was catching this trout, a bald eagle flew by with its own catch . I have fished this river and the caddis hatch many times, yet somehow knowing this is not a guarantee to happen again it was almost too much to take in! "The heavens declare your praises"

 

 Kids are such a blessing from the Lord!  They teach you so much!  When was the last time you were grateful for a letter?  A real letter from the mail?  Evelyn shows me so often that it is the everyday things that are a wonder too.  This was her first letter in the mail all for her!

 

 

 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

And all this from a new perspective on the routine, everyday things in life.  I will never know why God chose to open my eyes to see Him at 19, to fall in love with my Savior and really know Him.  That is the ultimate gift!  And I can't wait to be trained to tell others that have never had the chance to even hear, let alone know this God.  And what pleasure and joy there is in knowing the Creator of all these wonders.  They are beams of the light of His glory.  If we only look at them we miss the point. 

They are meant to be pointers to the source of the wonder and awe!

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:9-11

 

That path is through Jesus!