My husband and I attended a wedding for a young couple we dearly love. Dinner over, cake cut, speeches complete. David looked at me and said, “I’m ready to go home when you are.”

I wasn’t ready. Tiredness hung at the corner of his eyes. It had been a long week with something extra each night. I explained, “I wanted to see the couple off and help with the cleanup.”

He waited patiently. I said my last goodbyes and the exit line formed. We joined the sendoff. Again, his eyes searched mine.

He loves me.

“I feel I owe it to the friends who served in the kitchen to help.” I gave one last attempt.

“You can stay if you need to, but I think we need to get the kids home and reconnect after a very long week. I’m not staying.”

He loves me not…

We’d driven separate cars because Bethany and I had come from a baby shower earlier. 

Every one of you probably sees his love as you read this, but my tired brain didn’t. I only heard I’m not staying. There were a few more Yeses and No’s that contributed to this ‘He loves me… He loves me not’ feeling growing inside of me that night.

I traveled home shortly after he left, but I wrestled with my thoughts on the way home. He wisely called what I was too weary to admit. That’s love, isn’t it?

How many times do I do the same thing to God? He says Yes to so many requests, but when I hit a series of No’s the temptation kicks in to think, He doesn’t love me.

• Several dear friends are battling cancer
• A couple we treasure just got a divorce
• Unresolved health issues linger in our home

What about the daily Yeses?

• Sunshine and fresh air
• Family and friends nearby
• A home to call our own
• A husband who loves me
• Our dear children, some young and some grown and married
• In-laws we love and who love Jesus (now there’s a huge one)
• Grandchildren—joyful and vibrant
• Church family—a solid place to worship and learn God’s word
• Food—with choices even
• The gift of another sunrise
• Forgiveness when I mess up
• Unanswered prayers that protected me
• Laughter that heals the heart
• Hope, heaven, and life with Jesus

A friend challenged us to write to God a hundred things for which we were thankful. I’ve begun the process and am almost finished. 

Reality check. He loves us!

No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:1

The real problem with this way of thinking is it has me at the center. If I switch it up to place God at the center, to rejoice in His will and His glory— BOOM—it changes everything!

Truth: He’s God and we are not. He’s the one we are aiming to please. Yes?

Fact:  He does so much for us we sometimes get that turned around.

We don’t see as He sees. He knows what’s ahead and wisely considers all the details. He’s forming us into His likeness. May we prepare our souls to ask big and wait in hope for good and godly things, but may we also prepare our hearts to suffer as good soldiers.

Let’s back up to Psalm 84 again. Verse 11 in its entirety says, “For God is a sun and a shield” reminiscent of the Israelites in the desert under God’s protective cloud cover by day and pillar of fire by night. Continuing on, “the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

There we have it—Love in the form of protection and provision. When that protection seems to be absent we will be tempted to feel like He loves me not…. Homelessness, loss, trauma do not mean He is not with us nor that He does not love us. It means we are on a journey and need to cling to Him. He promises to never leave or forsake His people. 

In Christ He extends to us immeasurable grace and invites us to see His glory. It was just before Jesus went to the cross, He pulled three of His disciples aside as He was transfigured right in front of them on the mountain. Standing there with Moses and Elijah, Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to see His glory. We, as disciples of Christ, will suffer with Him, but we will also see His glory—differently but definitely.

May we not waver in trusting God’s love toward us because of the No’s we have received. Also, if someone wrongs us, we don’t need to mistake that as God’s heart toward us. That’s not a NO from God, it IS something we can take to Him though.

Please join me, friends, in thanking God for all His beautiful Yeses. We can fill this Thanksgiving with praise for the hundreds of details God has provided. Keep praying in faith for those unanswered requests while flooding heaven with praise for who God is and all He has done.

He LOVES us!

And like my husband’s wise call to take us out of the crowd to regather our troops after a long week, God in His all-knowing nature will gather us under His wings if we will allow Him. To nurture us, to refresh us, to pull us aside to Himself after the craziness of the week and remind us of what’s important all over again. He loves US! 

Please join me in creating your own list of 100 praises. He inhabits the praises of His people Psalm 22:3 

Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17-19 over the people in Ephesus: 

• that they would be rooted and grounded in love
• that they would know how wide, how long, how deep, and how high the love of God is toward those who believe
• that they would know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge and be filled with the fullness of God

Because, as the next verse says so well: ²⁰Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according ²¹to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen!

Happy Thanksgiving! No matter what you’re facing, let His big arms embrace you.

Oh, let’s praise Him!

Melinda Poling

For the generation that seeks Him