God Moments

In Houston I was a member of Ecclesia Church. Right before I left Houston for Portland I heard the story of Sarah, a woman in my church who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I did not know her personally, but you can read all about her story on her blog (there's also a link to it in my side bar, it's called Just Some Thoughts) Sarah also posts daily videos updating her friends and supporters on what's going on in her cancer treatment and in her life.

Of course I am praying daily for Sarah's complete healing and I would ask you to as well, but I wanted to share something she said in her video from yesterday (September 14). Sarah was talking about how she had feeling a little down and how she knows any season in life will have its ups and downs and she was inspired to start writing down the "up moments" and she called them "God Moments". 

I think God Moments are an amazing idea! Sarah's story really humbles me because sometimes I get down about my current life circumstances and become very negative and cynical in my heart. Then I watch one of Sarah's videos and am completely convicted - she is facing something MUCH more difficult than anything I have ever even thought about facing and yet she is so positive and optimistic that it is contagious - she makes you want to be hopeful :) Strange how God can use a woman with cancer to inspire hope in others. 

There will always be people who have better life situations than you do and there will always be people who have less favorable life situations than you do, that is not the point. I really believe that something God has revealed to me over and over again is that GRATEFULNESS IS THE POINT. No matter what your life situation you can find something (and usually many things) to be grateful for. Start naming them. Start listing them. Speak them out loud. Write them down. Sometimes when I wake up in an off mood I just start thanking God for everything - for air to breathe, for water to wash my face with, for toothpaste, for coffee (well I always thank Him for that :), for a home to live in, for the sunshine, for the rain, anything and everything. 

Sarah's idea of God Moments really inspired me, so last night I go out a fresh journal that a friend recently gave me and wrote down my first God Moment to refer to in future "down moments". Those moments when things may not be exactly how you want them to be, but you KNOW that God is good, that you love Him, and that He loves you - I think those are God Moments.

Finally, brothers & sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. -Philippians 4:8