Game Changing Joy

Daily Gratitude Year 5-Day 303: Today, I am grateful joy can change the present.

I adore Ann Voskamp's writing. Sometimes it is simply profound. Other time, I get to take a sweet ride on her delightful use of the English language. This is one falls into the simple. 

"No amount of regret changes the past. No amount of anxiety changes the future. Any amount of grateful joy changes the present." 

Gratitude opens our eyes. 

Our priorities change. Our sense of contentment grows. Our generosity increases. We gain perspective on our past... it loses its chains and becomes a part of our story... but not one that defines us or destroys us. 

Gratitude can be the antidote to anxiety, because the two do not easily co-exist. 

This weekend, there was quite a show out my kitchen window. The tall decorative prairie grass is no longer green. It has turned the color of wheat and the tips are loaded with tiny seeds. The sparrows were feasting and bouncing around with joy. They were not competing, just sharing the abundance. No worry. No fretting. Just grateful joy in the moment. 

So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.- Matthew 10:31 

Today, we can waste energy on a past we cannot change or a future we cannot control, or we can be truly, deeply and profoundly grateful for the care, provision and goodness the Father provides.

As we are on the eve of the anniversary of Martin Luther's 99 thesis that marked the beginning of The Reformation, I am reminded of his conviction and commitment to illuminating the important work of grace that was finished on the cross. The temple curtain ripped. No longer was there a need for the old ways. 


"And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest." -Hebrews 3:1

"Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins." -Hebrews 7:27

The burden of sin gone. The only one who can free us, has ordered our release. We have to choose him back. Not just in lip service, but seeking his heart. He has good things for those who say yes. 

Jesus didn't call priests or preachers. He made disciples. He instructed them to go and tell the good news. 

Now, some truly know the call of God on their hearts to pastor and lead, but many are propelled into the role with some reluctance. They understand the weight of the job. He holds those who serve in the role of teacher and pastor to a higher standard... as he should. Many resist, but He is persistent in his recruiting methods. Humble submission to a sovereign God. 

If we let him lead... he is faithful. When we fight him... he is faithful. 

I am grateful for His goodness and faithfulness in every season. He is our game changer. Delight in the freedom. 


Today, I am grateful joy can change the present.