Thankfulness

Can I just say that God is faithful? Today was such an awful day...until God showed me the beauty that can come out of ashes.

This morning, I got to work and, within minutes, found myself robbed of joy and peace and any sense of security. A man had left a crude and graphic death threat for me on my voicemail, so we pretty much spent the day escalating the issue through the company ranks and ended up calling the police department and talking to an officer. At some point, my boss had the ladies take me away so I wouldn't have to hear again what the voicemail had said as he explained the contents to the authorities. Suffice it to say, I spent the day shaking, afraid to answer my phone, and on the verge of tears, just trying to make it through the day. Michelle explained it quite well later on, why it's so traumatic. It's like having a gun held to your head and escaping safely. Even though you're ok and nothing ended up happening, it still happened.

I had committed to helping perform one of our missions trip dramas at a banquet one of our church's congregations was having for the homeless tonight, so I drove straight to church after leaving work, crying the whole way, and sat on a chair in a dark corner of the church lobby. It was like a safe place. And then Andy came by and sat down and listened to me, prayed for me, and then told me that he wanted me to call him at any time if I needed him to come over, because I have brothers who will protect me. Then as Andy was leaving, Chris came by and sat with me. Then we carpooled to the other congregation, our old missions trip team. Mitch told everyone that they needed to hug me at least five times and love me and encourage me, so I was never alone once tonight. Even as we prepared to serve at this banquet, my team, my new family surrounded me, and I was held and encouraged and prayed for and loved and served. I even managed to laugh a couple times. At the end of the night, some of them even stood in a line to sing "Happy Birthday" to me, which was so beautiful despite its out-of-tune-ness. When we got back to the church, Mitch had the five of us still together stand in a circle with our arms wrapped around each other, and then each of them prayed for me...strong and powerful and solid prayers.

Looking back on the day today, I thank God for taking this awful situation and using it to show me things I had not fully realized. I thank God for showing me what a strong community I really do have here in Nashville, what a solid and faithful and loving family surround me and take good care of me. Even at work, the ladies gathered to pray for me, and in their prayers, they said that they didn't want the joy and peace that I brought to the office to be robbed by this. I hadn't realized this was my role in this sphere, that God was working through me in this way. I feel like he has opened my eyes to so many things today, and above all, he can take all things and make them new and beautiful, working them for our good.

So in all this, I thank my savior for his love and redemption, and I choose great joy.