What do you do when life just falls apart?
I wish I could tell you each time life throws me a curveball, I strike up a chorus of “It Is Well with My Soul.” I wish I could tell you that when my baby died, I hummed “Jesus Loves Me.” Or that when the pregnancy test came back negative for the thirty-sixth time, I sang “Victory in Jesus.”
I wish I could tell you the day my father looked me in the eyes and couldn’t remember my name because of Alzheimer’s disease, I whistled Laura Story’s “Blessings.” But that hasn’t been the case. I have grieved. I have mourned. I cried out to God in discouragement and pain.
But through many trials and tears, God has taught me to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”
How?
By replacing the lies with the truth.
Oh, the situations didn’t change. My baby is still in heaven rather than in my arms, I never birthed another child, and my father was not healed from Alzheimer’s. The circumstances didn’t change, but my perspective did. Click & Tweet!
I began to see that my baby was with Jesus.
I began to see that God had a greater plan for my life that involved spiritual children all around the world.
I began to see that my earthly father, who is now in heaven, is completely healed.
I began to see that my heavenly Father, who is always with me, will never forget my name.
When we sing and praise God amid the jail cell of discouragement, the chains fall off and the doors fly open. Click & Tweet!
Take a few moments to think of 3 things you’re grateful to God for- no matter how big or small- and share in the comments.
Today’s blog is an excerpt from my new book Enough: Silencing the Lies That Steal Your Confidence. Are you ready to replace the lies of the enemy with God’s truth? In Enough I share my battle plan- or rather Jesus’ battle plan (because He modeled it first in the Bible) for defeating Satan’s attacks with truths found in God’s Word. Order your copy today and register your purchase at sharonjaynes.com/enough to receive 24 printable truth cards that will help change your perspective amid challenging circumstances.
Comments 46
I am grateful for:
1- my husband Joe
2- my friends, Didi & Laura
3- my fur babies, Patches & Ferguson (cats)
Am gratefu for the gift of life am grateful for my husband am grateful for my children am grateful for my parents and am grateful for my siblings and for the love that the Lord has shown me even when I don’t deserve it
I am grateful for the love of God, His grace and my family.
I am grateful for my loving, hard working husband, he’s awesome! I am grateful for waking up relatively healthy every day.(I still have a couple of health challenges, but I’m working on them.) Last, but definitely not least, I’m grateful that God is a wonderful, loving God, who shows me in so many ways how much He loves me.
I am grateful for Jesus, life, famly.
I’m thankful for my family, my church and my ms
My job even in the stress, my family as we rally together with health issues and my church family that prays
I am gratefulfor my beautiful healthy daughters,
I am grateful for my health
I am grateful to be able to have a church I can attend each week.
I am grateful waking up this morning.
I am grateful for my husband.
I am grateful for my parents.
I am grateful for my siblings and their families.
I am grateful for my gym family.
I am grateful for my church family.
I am thankful today for Gods very special presence in my life amid some dark days…He is here and I know it in the depths of my soul. I am thankful today for a marriage of 28 years that survived some very ugly seasons. I am thankful, that although my children are wandering in the world, God has promised to bring them home (Jeremiah 31:7). I cling to His every word in a dry season where dreams seem to be dying, children have left home, and my home and every memory of the life it once had is missing as it endured a hurricane and I sit 8 months later still living in its shell. The struggle is real, yet I am trusting with every fiber of my being God sees me and will unfold His amazing glory through it all. The enemy lies to me…he tells me I am not enough to be in ministry, he says I have failed as a parent, and because I am hurting, I have disappointed God. I know these lies swimming around in my head are not from the only Father I’ve ever known. He’s my rock, my redeemer, my only hope. He rescued me from a broken life and if I remember nothing else, that one thing is enough for me to know with all my heart He is for me and His promises will no doubt come to pass. Thank you Sharon for giving me hope today. ❤️
Sharon
Ian thankful that God protected us from the Cerritos air disaster around 1985. Also thankful He protected us from the 3 black men
Who tried to rob us. Also 0thankful for the doctor who operated on my colon cancer stage one and did not need radiation or chemotherapy and so thankful for the two surgeon’s who operated on my husband mar 19 2018 on his spine because he was in so much pain and could not walk. Also thankful that God protected Howard from having a permanent catheter and a colostomy bag for the rest of his life by removing a large hematoma on an emergency surgery April 5th as that would have been a disaster if we had not come in when we were told to.
And Sh rain. Ian so sorry for your losses. Connie
Thank You, God, for your faithfulness even when I’m not faithful to you. I’m grateful for my family who always stands with me, always loving and supporting me. Thank You, for second chances. And third and fourth and fifth…
I’m grateful I low God
I’m grateful for my family & friends
I’m grateful for my health
I’m grateful for a multitude of blessings
This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it! One more day to drink coffee on the way to work. One more day to hug my kids and kiss my husband. One more day to call my mom and make her laugh and hug my dad. One more day to sit at a job that helps support my family and gives me a view of the outdoors. Is everything in my life rainbows and sunshine? No. But can I stubbornly look for the rainbows and sunshine even though? YES. Some days more successful than others, but the trend to look towards the light is there.
We’re(my husband and I) involved with Bible translation around the world seeing lives changed when they get the Bible in their own heart language, my mom came home yesterday after almost 2 months in rehab for a stroke and she’ll be 90 years young in a few weeks, the grace our God offers everyday, my list could be endless. I choose to live in gratitude everyday.
Im thankful for Gods grace and mercy!
Im thankful for the things God has brought me through!
Im thankful for where God has me now, because its where I belong right now!!!
I am grateful to the people who are kind, encouraging, and helpful when I am struggling, especially those who do not know me but are this way because they are kind and good in general.
I am thankful for the two wonderful children I have; for a loving mother who is still healthy and does not have dementia; and for friends like the one who forwarded me this site, and for a church family.
I am thankful for having a job/career I love doing and for the colleagues I have in my workplace.
I can honestly say that my heart has never felt so broken than it does right now..I find that my greatest joy of being a mother among the struggles and the greatest disappointment is when your 23 yr old with Epilepsy makes an announcement that he is getting married in less than 3 wks to a girl he has known 5 months and she has already been divorced..the disrespect and utter disappointment my aching heart feels…I wonder what I did so wrong in raising him…
Sharon, you inspire me every time I read you. My husband, who loved life more than anyone I know, died at a young age and through that pain I learned to make “I choose joy” my daily mantra. I could not do that without loving God and trusting His plan. I thank Him every day for the countless blessings He pours into my life.
May He bless you richly.
With thanks
Maggie
My God’ love, faithfulness and forgiveness. My family, my friends. This beautiful world.
For food, shelter and clothing
For the love of God
For reasonable portion of heallh
I am grateful for God’s saving grace.
I am grateful for a loving husband of 40 years, who was healed of cancel almost 30 years ago.
Two daughters serving the Lord in different ways and the one that is already in heaven (spared a hard short life by being stillborn).
Thankful for my faith in God’s goodness which has carried me through the past month of challenges.
Thankful for my health and restored strength so that I may serve my family fully.
Thankful for my husband and children who support and encourage me when emotions get in the way.
I have a job I love.
I have a car that runs!
I am a loved child of God!!
3 things I’m grateful for God, family & friends, job.
I am Grateful to God for continuing to remind me thru constant adversity that He is With Me and He Hear My Cry.
I am Grateful to God For Keeping my Son and his family afloat during this time of unemployment.
I am Grateful to God for using me daily to help someone, even when the help seems minor to me.
I am sorry to hear about your pain. I am writing about miracles this month, and though we believe, everyone may not receive for some reason we are not wise enough to know. But we must never stop believing and He can always restore losses in different ways that we might think.
I am grateful that my granddaughter Autumn is in jail where she is far more safe than she was when she was doing heroin. I’m grateful that my Lord drew my husband and I closer after losing our beautiful daughter, Kristina. I’m so very grateful for my beautiful daughter, Amanda, and for ALL of my grandchildren. I’m so grateful for HIS love and my salvation.
I am grateful for HIS unconditional love every day
I am grateful to have known and had the love of my sweeet husband who has been in heaven now for 7 years
I am grateful for good health, loving family and friends
I am grateful for the love of my two sweet doggies to make my days better
1. I am grateful that, even if I woke up with a head cold today, I did not get the flu last winter.
2. I am grateful that, even if my apartment’s electrical system blew almost completely last April, it did not cause an electrical fire and that I had local family to stay with while things were being fixed at the apartment owner’s expense.
3. I am grateful that, even if I have not yet replaced the income stream that dried up when I needed it most, that I have food and shelter for today.
I am grateful to know the true meaning of love, if only for the VERY shortest, yet SWEETEST 16 months of her little life, My Katie, we lost her to a very tragic accident at home & she was our only child & we never had any more after that, but because of her I now know what REAL LOVE is…. I am grateful that the Lord allows me to see & hear all of his wondrous creations on this Earth, the birds singing, waves splashing against the sand, flowers blooming….. & most of all, I am grateful that he forgives sinners like myself.
I’m thankful that Jesus died for my sins and shed His blood for me. I’m thankful God chose me. I’m thankful that I know I am chosen, loved and equipped through the Holy Spirit who lives in me!
1. Grateful for my mom who is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s disease and at least when I sing amazing grace to her she can sing. A few words.
2. Grateful my husband and four kids
3. Grateful for Jesus and his amazing grace.
I am grateful to god for waking me up this morning, and loving me in spite of my sins
I am grateful for my Church family, and my Children i am grateful even do I am not in the best health but god as been my strength
I am grateful for the Salvation of my soul. I am grateful for my Family (my husband and my 4 Kids). I am grateful for you that humbling share your stories with us and encourage us. Love u. Blessings!
Grateful for Gods love, my husband who has been there for me through the loss of my entire family, my children and grandchildren.
I’m thankful for the trials I’m still going through as they bring me closer to the Lord. I’m thankful that through the trials, my faith has grown. And I’m thankful that through the trials, I’ve found my joy again! Hallelujah!
I learn praise with positive thought & not all children are the same.
I am grateful for peace in my marriage, for healing in m body and my children walking in Christ. I am grateful for there is hope in Christ for this evil world.
Grateful for my daughter’s continued healing from Chron’s disease; grateful for my husband of almost 41 years! Grateful for our son who moved back East after a divorce and losing his daughter in the process. Grateful that I serve a God who is always faithful!
I’m very grateful for my loving and kind children and having a job to provide for us and I am also grateful for having the Lord in my life.
My mom just passed away three weeks ago and I am greatful that she didn’t linger and suffer. I’m also greatful that God gave me the strength to take care of her. I am so, so grateful that the Holy Spirit put it in my heart to sing to her “I’ll Fly Away” just before she passed. She was saying I, I,” and I said I know momma but thats okay because I know where you’re flying to and I’ll see you there one day. I sang her to sleep and she woke up in heaven! I am so thankful that I am a child of God! It is painful but God gets me through and it is well with my soul!
I am grateful for 1. My Salvation
2. My Husband of 28 years
3. Freedoms I still have
I am grateful for my husband, my 2 sons there wives and children and the many blessing my Father in heaven bestows.
Jesus, my family and being a teacher in a Christian environment ;-)! they light up my soul!
I am grateful for the gift of life,for my family and that God loves me despite of everything.