“And be sure of this; I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew  28:20b

 Do you ever find yourself whining, out loud or just in your head, “really Lord, we are still here? Why do I feel so discouraged?  I feel like I have been here before. I know I have so much to be thankful for, yet life  feels a bit uphill these days.  

 These sorts of thoughts have been nipping away at my mind these past few days. I asked our  Good Shepherd, Jesus, about this. It is a wonder He never tires of my many inquiries. It is funny really, when I stop and think about it, I know He sees what I don’t see. I see the tiny section of the pathway, He sees the whole path, start to finish.

 He is not standing nearby scratching His head and wondering, why are we here yet again? There are times in our journey as believers we must remember.  He is present, trustworthy and He has his purposes and details He is sorting out.

 The truth is when our timetables and quiet plans bang into His, we can find ourselves impatient and often discouraged. Honestly, there are all kinds of reasons we feel discouraged , prolonged illness, answers to prayers that seem to be forever on hold, or people who have disappointed us.. lots of possibilities.

 The Good Shepherd does not forget His sheep and wonder “ where did I leave them?’ He is present and hears our cries and our sighs.

 The one thing I do feel I hear my Good Shepherd saying to me is this, “rest assured, I am working. You may think I am just sitting on a bench nearby doing nothing, but that is not true. I am doing all kinds of things you do not see. In the meantime,  trust me, be thankful and rest in Me my child.”

 It is wonderful to know that Jesus, who is our Good Shepherd loves us and knows exactly what we need. If we can think of nothing else to give thanks for today- and some days, thanksgiving can be harder than others! Today we can thank Him for His unchanging, unwavering love for us and for being so near to us every moment of each day.

 Dear Father,

Thank you for being the Good Shepherd and that while I may be feeling a bit squirrely at this moment, you are not. Thank you for your wisdom and the plans you have for me. Thank you that I can trust You and that You never forget me.

In Jesus Name,

Amen