What Can I Do - Paul Baloche

Thanksgiving is coming up this week. For the month of November many people count blessings, or post things they are thankful for, spend time focusing on gratitude. I see it on Facebook, as people challenge each other to think of things they are thankful for, I see it in my kids classrooms as they are asked to write about things they are thankful for, I've done it in my classroom, creating a Thanksgiving turkey out of my students hands listing things they are thankful for: 

The point is that gratitude and thankfulness is a choice. That when we see the beauty and gifts around us we have to chose to be thankful. 

So what choice will you make today? What can I do but THANK you.

When I see the beauty
Of the sunset's glory
Amazing artistry
Across the evening sky
When I feel the mystery
Of a distant galaxy
It awes and humbles me
To be loved by a God so high

What can I do but thank you
What can I do but give
My life to you
Hallelujah, hallelujah
What can I do but praise you
Every day make everything I do
A hallelujah, a hallelujah
Hallelujah

When I hear the story
Of a God of mercy
Who shared humanity
And suffered by our side
Of the cross they nailed you to
That could not hold you
Now you're making all things new
By the power of your risen life

In Your Hands - Jesse Jorgensen

Last weekend our sermons at both campuses were about worry. Both sermons are really good (check them out here for Steve at East Hills and here for Josh at the Grove). Steve talked about how when he's really stressed, he'll draw a basket, and then write all of the different things he is worried about down above the basket, as if he was putting his worries into the basket, and then he'll work on remembering that those things are in God's basket now. Josh talked about how worrying is trying to take control of things we can't control, and that when we worry it is proof that we are afraid to surrender. Peace, Josh said, is realizing we are not in control and that that's okay. Peace is a result, not a goal.

After hearing Steve's sermon Saturday night, Jesse posted this video. Sunday morning, I listened to the song about a dozen times (before I heard Josh's sermon). It hit hard. Have you ever had dreams that you wanted to cling to more than anything because you feel like they are God's plan, and by golly they need to happen? After all, this is something that I feel like God Himself has promised, so why wouldn't they be coming true RIGHT NOW? And how could this thing that is currently happening that feels so contrary to that dream possibly be from God, and it's screwing up the PLAN. My plan. For how this thing that God has promised is going to happen.

I can't begin to imagine what Moses's mother is feeling when she lays her baby into the river. In a basket she feels like God has told her to weave, floating her infant son away from her. The pain. The terror. The fear. She had no control. None. And instead of worrying about what was going to happen in the thing she couldn't control, she releases the basket to God.

And great things, great things, come from that. An entire people group is rescued from slavery, led to their promised land, given covenants from God...

If I think through the different promises, covenants even, that are in the old testament, I notice a pattern. God makes a promise. People look at the promise, try to figure out how that could possibly happen, doubt the steps along the way, get in the way by making their own choices, and then eventually God shows up and proves otherwise. See, God rarely gets to His promise in the way we would expect. I can't imagine that Joseph in jail (Genesis 39) was really thinking that "oh yes, I see it how you're going to make that dream come true". That isn't the point. The point is that God will make good on His promises.

So. Weave the basket. Put your dreams in. And then put it in God's hand. Lay it down in the river, because there is noone like You, God.

Note: Jesse explains some about this song before where this video here will start, if you want to listen to his explanation about the song, just rewind :-)

I've woven the basket,
I've thought out the plan
Put my dreams in
I've woven the basket,
I've thought out the plan
Put my dreams in

Now I put it in Your hands
I put it in Your hands

My hands have been full
Of all that You gave
I held them close to my chest
I gripped them so tight
As though they were mine
Now I lay it all down

I put it in Your hands
I put it in Your hands

Who is like the Lord
Who is like the Lord
There's noone like You, Lord
Who is like the Lord
Who is like the Lord
There's noone like You, Lord

I put it in Your hands
I put it in Your hands

I've woven the basket
I've thought out the plan
Put my dreams in

Enough - Tori Harper

Enough.
It's a word we hear a lot...
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!" screams the frustrated mother.
"Have I done enough?" asks the student, wondering if they have studied all the materials for a big test.
"When will it be enough?" asks the husband who has caught his wife cheating... again...
"Enough for today..." says the tired teacher who can't seem to get through to their students.
"Am I not enough for him?" says the worried wife who has just caught her husband looking at pornography again.

enough

enough

enough

Am. I. Enough.

There is something about this question that haunts me, and I think intrinsically maybe haunts us all. In the end, are we enough? Am I enough in my marriage? Am I enough for my kids? Am I enough as a teacher? Am I enough as a Christian? Am I enough for Jesus?

But that isn't actually the question - of course we are not enough!

The question is: is Jesus enough for you. If you were without anything, nothing that you find you want or think you need on a daily basis. Without that - would God still be enough for you? When it all goes wrong, remind me that you never fail.

If nothing else but You remains, let it be enough...even when my eyes can't see... you are enough.

Because it is in that moment, that moment when you find that God is enough for you, then suddenly, at that moment you are enough. Because it is in our most broken and humbled and empty and willing to serve form that God can look at us and say "well done, you are enough."

It's a funny kind of currency - that when we are nothing we are enough, and when we are full of ourselves on our own we can never be enough. It is only through Jesus that we can put aside fear and shame, finding our enough in Him. The one who made us and loves us.

May He be enough for your today.

Disclaimer:
This song is a fairly new release, and apparently the singer/author hasn't put it out in an easy to link to from here. So here's a link to iheartradio, Spotify and Apple Music. As soon as I find it on youtube I'll update this post to include it, right now there is only a video of her talking about her newest song (Enough).

https://www.iheart.com/artist/tori-harper-31599002/songs/enough-82299050/?autoplay=true

https://open.spotify.com/track/6kXT6933mBtPAIUZJgH4Uf

https://music.apple.com/us/album/enough-single/1483981585

 

 When all hope seems lost
When I feel afraid
When it all goes wrong
Remind me that you never fail
Remind me that you never fail

Let your Spirit wash upon my face
and turn my grieving into praise
and if nothing else but you remains
let it be enough
Oh let me raise this simple song
for the one who gave it all
I am nothing Lord without your love
Let it be, let it be enough
Let it be enough

When I can't find sleep
When my eye is worn
When I can't find peace
Remind me that you never fail
Remind me that you never fail

Let your Spirit wash upon my face
and turn my grieving into praise
and if nothing else but you remains
let it be enough
Oh let me raise this simple song
for the one who gave it all
I am nothing Lord without your love
Let it be, let it be enough
Let it be enough

Even when my eyes can't see
Even when I am in need
Even then my soul will sing
you are enough
you are enough

Even when my eyes can't see
Even when I am in need
Even then my soul will sing
you are enough
you are enough

Let your Spirit wash upon my face
and turn my grieving into praise
and if nothing else but you remains
let it be enough
Oh let me raise this simple song
for the one who gave it all
I am nothing Lord without your love
Let it be, let it be enough
Let it be enough