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| Photo by Snapshots of Joy |
This means that anyone who belongs
to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Our pastor (who happens to be my gifted husband) suggested that this Thanksgiving we try a little twist to our “Thanks for” list: Rather than thanking God for what he has given us, Dick suggested we thank him for what he has taken from us. I thought that sounded a bit odd until I heard his examples: Former smokers can be thankful God delivered them from nicotine, an abused girlfriend can be thankful God helped her end the relationship, a cancer patient can be thankful God guided the surgeon’s hands in removing the cancerous tumor, etc.
As an exercise in praise, I decided to write my list of things I was thankful God removed from my life:
- the penalty for my sins through the sacrifice of Jesus
- our seven-year wait to adopt
- the prison of worry
- my ulcerative colitis flares
- my mother's cancer.
- sole responsibility for 1stWrites
- the overgrown shrubs in our yard for a tenth of the estimated cost
- our children's dependence (Proud to be the parent of two independent, responsible adults!)
- legalistic religion
