so as I pulled into adventures in missions on September 2nd, I was so thrilled. I was like, “oh man, I am SO READY for this! let’s kick it!” as I was walking up to my campsite with all of my gear, I was thinking to myself, “oh my goodness I’m actually here and I’m going to DIE during this fitness hike, LOL.)
as I continue up to my campsite with the new faces and new environment all around me, we couldn’t stop talking about how excited we were. we were really ready to camp outside and go to teachings, and… it never stopped. the possibilities were endless.
when I had finally arrived at the campsite, I remember seeing this woman SO excited for us. she was yelling with us, hugging us, and helping us set up our campsite. there was something about this woman, though, that was SO intriguing to me. it wasn’t her radiant personality, her beautiful features, or how excited she was. it was one phrase that she kept repeating over and over again…
“thanks, God!”
such a simple phrase, but so much meaning. you guys, she literally says “thanks, God,” for everything. I remember freaking about a bug, and she looks at it and goes, “thanks God!”
at first I thought she might’ve been a little crazy. who thanks God for an insect? who sees multiple spiders in their tent and says, “thanks God!” not me, that’s for sure… or so I thought.
after spending much time with this woman who ended up being one of my squad leaders, I started to want to be more and more like her. she really radiates God’s love no matter where she is, and extends so much grace to whoever she talks to. she LOVES hugs, and has the most innocent laugh and child-faith. so, like a younger sister copying the older sister, I started to say, “thanks, God!,” even when it was the most uncomfortable thing to do at the most strange times.
(side note;; I know I’ve only been here for about a month, BUT I feel like I’ve been here for so long. I have spiritually grown in these 3 1/2 weeks more than I ever have before. and not having your phone for the whole day and spending time with people all day, makes your days seem longer. so maybe time wise I haven’t been here for a long time, but my spirit has been here for many months)
so, I started saying, “thanks, God!” and it became a habit. when I would see a caterpillar, I would say, “oh, thanks God!” it became an ongoing joke as my team would try to keep one another accountable for saying ‘thanks, God!’ or whoever could say it most throughout the day. let’s just say it was a fun time. 🙂
but then one day when I was saying, “thanks, God!,” it really hit me. I was saying that phrase because I wanted to be more like someone else, and I wasn’t actually thanking God for those things I was “thanking” Him for. so I again looked down at that leaf that had fallen off of the tree in my hand, and really examined it. I felt it, tracing the spine of the leaf and admired the colors of the brown and yellow leaf. it was extremely beautiful. then without even thinking about it, I really said, “thanks, God.”
——–
so you may be thinking, “cool story, Briana. what’s the point?”
the point I’m trying to make, is that when we speak, we need to be intentional with our words, and we should really be thanking Jesus for all that He’s done. because in all reality, we owe Him nothing. think about the next sunrise/sunset you look at, the next tree you look at, or the next human standing in front of you… think about how much time God spent on making that thing you’re looking at. and really try and look at that thing though God’s eyes. you guys, Jesus died for that person in front of you. God breathed LIFE into that person standing in front of you. God made that person for 9 months in their mother’s womb. it’s a miracle that they’re even in front of your eyes right now. it’s a beautiful thing to look at someone or something in the eyes of the artist. it’s a really, beautiful thing.
and here’s why i included the “thanks God!,” story. so after God opened my eyes to saying thanks to Him for everything, stuff started changing. my mindset started changing for the better, and here’s what I mean by that.
STORY TIME!
so my tent definitely doesn’t work like a tent should work. my tent has flooded 3 times, and I’ve been soaked every time I wake up. all of my belongings have been wet, and just needless to say, it hasn’t been the most exciting time in my life.
this most recent time when I woke up, I remember saying, “thanks, God!” i was so grateful that I wasn’t more wet and that my electronics didn’t get wet. THANKS GOD!!!!!!
Here’s the thing though: the night before that morning, I went to my tent at 9:45pm. I don’t have my headlamp because the batteries already burned out, and so I was carrying my book bag, my phone, my water bottle, and wearing my yellow rain jacket.
I go to unzip my tent and see the damage that has been done. everything was soaked. a little river was flowing on the side of my tent, how great, right? how was I supposed to sleep? quiet hours started in 15 minutes, and I had to get everything cleaned up. how to you dry the river in my tent with wet clothes? anyway, moral of the story is that I had to figure out a way to sleep and try to sleep comfortably. it didn’t work HAHA. I cried and cried. I was just too tired to deal with it.
so the next morning I woke up, and like I said previously, I was soaked. OH and I slept with my phone with me in my sleeping bag so it didn’t get wet. I must’ve accidentally shut off my alarm so it didn’t go off. I work up to people opening and shutting their tents and heard them going down to breakfast. at that point I had to be down at breakfast in 12 minutes. everything was more wet than the previous night. so I sat up, looked around, and said, “thanks, God!” and I really meant it. my situation could have been much, much worse.
so when thinking about what you’re going through, PLEASE try to remember that it’s just a season. try and laugh about it, and thanks God for all He’s done for you. it’s extremely rewarding to try and have eternal vision instead of worldly vision!
so this week I encourage YOU to see what you can do to seek Christ first. maybe it’s a little, “thanks, God!” or maybe it’s really being intentional with your words. maybe it’s laughing about a situation that has happened to you, or maybe it’s just remembering that this won’t last forever! but whatever you do, seek Christ first!
THANKS GOD!!!!!!!!!
