Thank You From A to Z

Always providing for my needs. I'm never truly hungry, unclothed, or without shelter.

Being my friend. He has promised in His Word that He will never leave me lonely or afraid .

Coming to this world to provide a perfect example of how I should live.

Drowning my sins deep in the sea of forgetfulness by His unfailing grace.

Eternal life. How wonderful it will be to forever praise Him in His presence.

Follow me — His simple request to make a simple sacrifice with incredible results.

Going to the cross. Jesus took the punishment for my sin and paid a debt I could never pay.

Hearing my prayers. He answers each request or cry of my heart in accordance with His perfect will.

Including me in His family. Because I have chosen to make Him Lord of my life, I am a child of royalty.

Justice. God is a completely holy and merciful judge. Righteousness will be rewarded. Sin will be punished.

Keeping His promises. I can trust God to do what He says He will do.

Love — the very reason He created me and why He made a way to have a personal relationship with Him.

Music. Jesus is truly the song in my heart.

New beginnings. He made me a completely new creation with a desire to please Him.

Omnipresence. God is everywhere, helping me through trials, guiding me through decisions, and rejoicing in celebrations.

Peace that passes all understanding. Only God can give us the calm joy of knowing we are resting in His strong hand.

Quiet. The still, small voice of God is often what moves us to do His will. We only hear it as we move past the noise of our busy lives.


Rest. When we are truly weary, God provides the refreshment we need to keep working in His kingdom. He even provided an entire day for that very purpose.

Sunshine. Its very presence seems to indicate how God feels toward us. He wants us to grow and experience the warmth of His love.

Trash. Litter reminds me to clean up my own heart and put the trash where it belongs, in the barrel of confession.

Unconditional love. Jesus loves me no matter what I do. His death on the cross proves that He loved me in spite of my sin.

Virgin birth. God's entering the world as a child is the miracle that established our heavenly adoption.

Wind. A gentle breeze serves as a quiet reminder of God's presence. The gales of a fierce storm remind me of His power.

X-ray vision. God sees our hearts. He knows our true intentions, whether good or bad.

Yesterday. God allows us to learn from our mistakes. The Bible is full of examples to remind us that God loves His children even though we are not perfect.

Zebras. OK, "Z" was a little hard. Zebras and other interesting elements of God's creation show me that God must have enjoyed creating our world. He intends for our lives to be filled with joy and laughter. He has also given us the ability to be creative.

Bottom Line: From A to Z: God has blessed us with wonderful gifts that we often miss because we are caught up in our daily routines.

Source: Darla lives with her family in Jacksboro, Tenn., where she is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mother of two children ages 8 and 5. Her husband serves as youth minister at First Baptist Church, La Follette, Tenn.