Happy Thanksgiving: Life within

Today I read the devotional entitled Perspective Precedes Thankfulness. I completely understand the title.  Today I am thankful for my infertility struggles. I am thankful for the 19 months of completely trusting in God and the intense spiritual growing that took place over those months.  I am thankful for all the countless nights of seeking desperately just to feel the hem of His garment. I am thankful that I know how to reach His heart and that He hears me. Not that He didn't before, we just have a greater bond through it all. I know His voice better and He knows mine. My perspective on life has completely changed and for that I am so greatful. 
  As a pediatric nurse and now a cardiac nurse I have known the preciousness of life, but have never experienced the mirical of it.  All I knew was girls all around were having babies and I was helping them live in the NICU and in the Children's Hospital. It seemed like "what happens" to everyone. How nieve I was. I am so thankful to have matured to this new perspective reguarding life.
  Perspective changes everything. It can change the look of a photo drastically. In learning to shoot photographs I learned the importance of perspective and always liked finding a new perspective that no one else would think of in the class. I would climb to different heights or lay down on the ground and find that my pictures turned out completely different than the others'. I learned that in changing my perspective the "same" world looked completely different than I could ever imagine. The same with this journey, my perspective has sompletely changed and therefore my thankfulness has changed.
  So today I am reminded of some of my favorite verses that held me close to Him in the hard days and now remind me of the journey I am now on the other side of...

"Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything,

by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

 And the peace of God,

wh ich transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and

your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7, (NIV)

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt

and that the LORD your God

brought you out of there with a mighty hand

and an outstretched arm."

Deuteronomy 5:15 (NIV)

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for,

but the Spirit himself intercedes for us

with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints

in accordance with God's will."

Romans 8:26-27,  (NIV)

 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

according to His power that is at work within us."Ephesians 3:20, NIV

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27 (NIV)

"He has made everything beautiful in its time.

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;

yet they cannot fathom what God

has done from beginning to end." 

Ecclesiastes 3:11,(NIV)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings,

Jennifer