Micro-Gratitude
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Over the holidays, as I was setting my intentions for 2024, I had a strong sense that I was done with the processing work on my past trauma. I looked at my internal landscape, and all was at peace. I was pretty shocked by that. I even waited another week or two, expecting the bottom to fall out, but still…peace ruled.
This week, I had the amazing privilege of meeting with my therapist and reminiscing about all we’ve worked through together and how we’ve seen God work as I prepare to move to a maintenance season of my healing journey.
When we reviewed my therapeutic goals, we both saw how the Lord worked to far exceed those goals…and He really blew them out of the water in how He worked.
I never thought this time would arrive. I thought I would be in therapy for the rest of my life. My therapist didn’t think that, though, because she said that I came into therapy motivated and ready to do the work, and she was pretty confident that I would get there.
Processing past trauma is slow, tedious work…you can’t rush through it if you want healing to take place…something I was frustrated by on more than one occasion. As we looked back, I could see every milestone in my healing journey…every breakthrough…every tiny detail that the Lord arranged to bring about my healing.
Some would say that the way we approached the healing work was intuitive, but I strongly believe it was Spirit-led. He knows me better than anyone…even better than I know myself. He knows every shattered and fractured part of my past because He was with me for all of it. He knows in what order they need to come back together and how one little victory creates momentum for another victory. He ordered our steps and directed our paths.
In one look-back session, I was overwhelmed with gratitude by the detail that God put into my healing journey…bit by bit…precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10). I could not see the whole picture, but He could.
This morning, I was thinking about how when we pray about something close to our hearts, we often pray at the macro level…Lord, please heal me to the place where I am fully restored and all my broken pieces are put together, but God answers those big prayers at the micro level…bit by bit, one breakthrough after another.
Recently, we have been praying for a couple of families in our church who have been going through intense, life-threatening physical battles. We have prayed big and seen God answer in the small things…blood pressure increases, eyes opened, response to pain, etc.
This week, we celebrated the little boy being able to go home from the hospital on his birthday. That did not feel like a micro-celebration to those praying for him. That was a big deal!!! Even though his mom is still in the hospital fighting for her life, we can celebrate his micro victory with tremendous gratitude.
The other young woman we prayed for also went home this week. After 45 days in the hospital fighting for her life, the Lord worked in miraculous ways to save her more than once.
I am filled to overflowing with so much gratitude for what the Lord has done that the tears are flowing freely this morning. My cup is running over, and so are my tears.
Our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He knows every micro step that needs to happen and the order in which it needs to happen. He often does not answer the big prayers all at once because trusting Him for the small things strengthens our faith.
So, I sit here with tears of joy and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what the Lord has done in my life and the lives of my church family and what He will do in the future.
