Articles – Life Principles
A Thanksgiving Journal
by Cindy Schaap
November is the month of my favorite holiday—Thanksgiving! On Thanksgiving Day, I take the time to read my journal from the past year. As many of our regular readers know, I write down one thing God did each day to show me He loves me. I ask God to show Himself to me, and then I write down one way that He did.
In order to celebrate Thanksgiving with you in this issue, I am including three illustrations from my 2006 journal.
I had been corresponding with a reader named Shannon Truckner whose father was dying of cancer. Shortly after Shannon’s father went to Heaven, she wrote me a letter telling me of his death. In that letter she shared that she had asked her father for something she should look for after he went to Heaven to remind her of him. He admonished her to look for goldfinches. While reading Shannon’s letter, I was interrupted by Gina Eyer, our projects manager at Christian Womanhood.
“Mrs. Schaap,” she said, “the March 2006 issue of Christian Womanhood just arrived.” She handed it to me, and as I looked at it, I was reminded that I had chosen a very large picture of a goldfinch to be the cover for March. I looked at the magazine, and I looked at the letter from my friend Shannon, and I said as I so often do, “I see you, Jesus; I know You love me, and I love You too.”
Knowing that Shannon receives the Christian Womanhood magazine each month, I knew she would be comforted by seeing its cover. I thanked God that He is interested in comforting Shannon, and I thanked Him that He leads and guides me as I make my daily decisions. We generally work two to three months ahead on our magazine, so I probably chose that goldfinch cover sometime in December or January. I had no way of knowing that it would be coming in the mail so soon after the death of Shannon’s dad, nor did I know the significance of the goldfinch in his life. But God knew….
Journal Entry
February 28, 2006. I received a letter from a girl whose father just died. She asked him what to look for to think of him after he’s gone. He said, “Goldfinches.” Right after reading her letter, the March Christian Womanhood paper came in (which she gets), and a big goldfinch was on the front cover. God is so good! And so involved!!!!
I had a large picnic basket that I kept in my living room. I used it year round both for decoration and for storage. I noticed that it was becoming frayed at the edges. “I really don’t feel like spending any money on a picnic basket,” I said to myself. I enjoyed having a picnic basket in that place, and I needed it for storage, but I did not enjoy looking at its frayed edges. We try to keep our home liveable, but we also try to keep it first-class. Almost on a whim, I prayed, “God, send me a new picnic basket.”
The following Sunday in church, a lady was visiting who teaches basket making. Her family introduced her as a visitor, and I believe it was an usher who shouted to Brother Schaap at the pulpit, “This lady has brought a picnic basket that she has made for Mrs. Schaap.” My husband, also on a whim (he doesn’t usually do this type of thing), said, “Well, bring the basket up to Mrs. Schaap right now.”
I sit on the front row of the choir. This usher proceeded to walk down the aisle, up to the large platform, to my choir chair to hand me a beautiful, large non-frayed picnic basket. It looked great for both storage and decoration. I was beaming! I almost felt like my face must have seemed a little overly excited about a picnic basket. I wanted to stand up and tell the whole church right then what God had done.
I couldn’t believe the miraculous way that God had chosen to give me my basket. He had answered my prayer in “great and mighty ways” which I knew not and in a way that was “exceeding abundantly above all” that I could ask or think. I ask God to show Himself in ways that will seem great and miraculous to me, and He does!
On the handle of the picnic basket, there is wood-burning. The wood-burning forms the phrase “Basket of Blessings.” I bowed my head during prayer and thanked the Lord, not only for showing Himself to me in such a unique way, but also for loving me and being interested in me. He even answers the prayers that are prayed on whim.
Journal Entry
May 7, 2006. Great day at church. I received a picnic basket. I had prayed for a new one, and a visitor brought one to church, and it was brought to me on the platform. God is good and answers my prayers in specific ways.
A young lady who had grown up in our church waited some time for God to give her a baby. A very healthy baby girl came along. It took some time for a second baby to come along, but finally one was on the way. Soon after, the doctor gave the devastating news that the baby “would look like a monster, would be terribly deformed, and would probably live at the most one year.”
I was so proud of the reaction of this husband and wife as they carried the news in their hearts about the deformed baby, while the mother carried the baby in her womb.
I cried and cried for this young mother. I also prayed. I wrote the young mother’s name in my Bible beside these words, “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27) I read it frequently and prayed for her. A month or so later, the doctor told the young mother, “We believe there is a mistake; the baby might be normal.” Just this past week, a completely healthy baby girl was born to this couple.
I know that God was answering the prayers of this dedicated mother and father. He was also answering their parents’ and their pastor’s prayers. But I also believe that God was answering mine. That is what keeps me praying. I see every answer to my prayers as a DIRECT answer from God to me.
Journal Entry
July 22, 2006. Emily Riley had a healthy baby girl today. Praise the Lord! (See front cover)
Allow me to summarize this article in the following points.
1. Praise God this Thanksgiving for His willingness to answer our prayer for leadership and guidance. (Remember the goldfinch.)
2. Praise God for His interest in showing Himself to us through even the prayers spoken on a whim. (Remember the picnic basket.)
3. See every answer to prayer as being a love sign directly from God to you. (Remember our precious baby.)
4. Take EVERYTHING to God in prayer.
5. Praise God for EVERYTHING.
I believe that God answers even my whimsical prayers because I spend a lot of time in prayer. I also spend a lot of time praising for everything I notice around me. God knows that His works will not be overlooked by me. I am as prone to wander into complacency as anyone else, so on this Thanksgiving Day 2006, I am praying one extra special prayer. I am praying that nothing God does in my life will be overlooked, but that He will continually receive my attention through the gift of praise.
Hebrews 13:15, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
Additional Resources: Living on the Bright Side by Cindy Schaap
