Giving Thanks: A Divine Exchange

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Do all things without complaining and disputing,
 that you may become blameless and harmless, 
children of God  without fault in the midst of a crooked 
and perverse generation, among whom you shine 
as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, 
so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ 
that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

- Philippians 2:14-16

...To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified...

- Isaiah 61:2-3

I began this year 2018 on a high note—the same note on which the previous year ended.

However, that high note is one not often reached, because human nature dictates that when things go wrong, or plans miscarry, or misfortune strikes, it is easier to grumble, complain, and point an accusing finger at someone.

That high note is not popular for the simple reason that most people prefer to live with a sense of entitlement, the belief that one is deserving of special treatment.

And so, that high note of gratitude and worship is often left unsung.


I began this year on a high note, but somewhere along the way, I lost it.

Being thankful doesn't come naturally. It is easy to be thankful on the smooth roads of life. But when "there's pain in the offering," then it's another story.

This is my 65th year. And though my birthday was a well-celebrated event with family and friends, I have to admit, this has not been the best year of my life.

This also hasn't been the year when I was closest to Abba Father. There were times when I didn't want to draw near... I wanted to stay away.

There was too much pain, either in my own life, or in the lives of dear friends.

And, for the most part of this year, I have not remembered to be thankful.

My fifth grandchild passed away in June, fourteen days after she was born. She suffered much in the last days of her life.

In October, my close friend Cora lost her husband ... after months of pleading before God to heal him.

Five days later, Jing, another dear friend of mine, also lost her husband... this time so suddenly and unexpectedly.

Then one week later, my best friend Melanie also passed away. Another unexpected death.

Loss upon loss, grief upon grief...

I was in a season of mourning. And for the past five months before this month began, I was wearing the veil of grief.



Then... on the first of December, I went to Manila to be with my daughter Obedient One on her birthday.

On the morning of her birthday, as I was preparing a special breakfast for her, God reminded me about His promise on the day she way born, thirty-four December mornings ago.

You see, my third child was conceived when my second son was barely a year old, and my first born was three.

I wasn't ready for her.

It's not that I didn't want her... I just wasn't ready for the heavy responsibility of raising another child; not when I was still raising two very young boys.

And here she was, making her presence very much felt ... on that cool December morning when Ernie and I were in our car at the parking lot of Riverside Hospital, listening to Christmas music while waiting for the contractions to grow stronger before we would decide to check in.

I found myself offering this heartfelt prayer, Thank You Father for this little baby inside of me. He (or she) is Your Christmas gift to me this year, and I am so very sorry for thinking I was not ready for him... Please forgive me. I want to thank You right now for this precious gift of life.  (At that time, ultrasounds to determine the sex of the baby before birth was not yet popular.)

I will never forget what the Lord spoke to my heart, in response to my prayer. He said, This baby will be a constant reminder of My faithfulness to you.

I could have knelt down right then and there. The impact of His words to me took me by surprise. Just twelve words... but I still remember them clearly each time this child's birthday comes around.

God is never late... He is always on time. And at a time when I thought it was too soon to have another child, nothing was a mistake, or an accident to God. He had a divine exchange ready for me—His sure faithfulness for my unbelief.

I suppose God taught me my first major lesson on thankfulness that memorable December morning.

A few hours later, a healthy 8.10-pound baby girl was born. 

She has grown up to be a delight to us her parents. I call her Obedient One. And as I always say, to this day, she has never broken my heart. She is indeed a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness.

I named the previous month, Bittersweet November. But as December came in, I sensed the season changing. 

The Passion translation of Song of Songs 2:11-13 beautifully describes it for me:

The season has changed,
the bondage of your barren winter has ended,
and the season of hiding is over and gone.
The rains have soaked the earth
and left it bright with blossoming flowers.
The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived.
I hear the cooing of doves in our land,
filling the air with songs to awaken you
and guide you forth.
Can you not discern this new day of destiny
breaking forth around you?
The early signs of my purposes and plans
are bursting forth.
The budding vines of new life
are now blooming everywhere.
The fragrance of their flowers whispers,
“There is change in the air.”
Arise, my love, my beautiful companion,
and run with me to the higher place.
For now is the time to arise and come away with me.

The past weeks of this month I found myself humming that high note of thankfulness again.

As this year comes to a close, I am grateful for this important lesson God has taught me well... through the rough less-traveled roads I have had to walk on.

I have discovered that being thankful, no matter what, unlocks many doors for me. New opportunities show up. Fresh provision arrives just in time.  I wake up with a new song on my lips. There is an open heaven above me.

Being thankful causes the atmosphere to shift, and removes the heavy burden of fear from my shoulders.

Being thankful is an act of humility, acknowledging that I am ever dependent on God.

I still recall what Pastor Joe Ascalon said in his December 31, 2017 sermon, Gratitude is the language of trust. (January 2017 blog post here)

Yes, being thankful reminds me that I am trusting, not in my own strength, not in my own abilities, not in my own resources, but in God alone.

Pastor Joey Bonifacio also spoke about being thankful in yesterday's message at Victory Katipunan. He said thanking God at the start of each day reminds us that we can't make it through this day on our own.

What a timely confirmation that message was!

Being thankful helps me boost my faith that God is doing something beautiful, in the midst of my circumstances.

Being thankful helps me have a change of outlook, enables me to see my life from God's perspective.

The enemy seeks to steal my joy, cloud my vision, and derail me from my destiny, but giving thanks is God's divine exchange for me.

Indeed I am grateful that as this month and this year come to a close, I am ending it on a high note, the very same note I was singing when this year began.

Thanks to God for my Redeemer Traditional Hymn

Give Thanks by Eddie James

Dance With Me by Paul Wilbur

2019: A New Day of Destiny by Elaine Tavolacci