Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. The house filled with warm and spicy smells of turkey cooking and pies baking. Through the years, I remember Thanksgiving eve activities of stuffing the turkey and candlelight services at church where there would be time for pause and reflection of God and His goodness over the past year. Then came the holiday feasting. Fellowship with family and friends. Maybe a "turkey trot" and definitely good football. Often came a big hike to walk off the food. Then came big shopping on Black Friday into the weekend. Many good memories.
But mostly I remember being so thankful for the chance to pause and give thanks to God for His many blessings.
I've been reflecting this past week on when and why I show gratitude. It's definitely at Thanksgiving or holiday times. Often when life is good or breakthroughs come, gratitude is easy. It's much more difficult in the pressure times of life. When you feel you're stuck. Maybe you're in a job you don't like. A relationship is going bad. You're in a situation that is overwhelming you and God seems silent. Doors are shut. Bills are due. Your body is malfunctioning. Does God really want and expect us to still thank Him at these times?
Yes, but it's not easy.
Almost everyone I know here in Ethiopia and almost everyone I talk to globally has some kind of pressure happening in life. There is pressure from work- to meet deadlines and achieve goals. There is financial pressure to raise money or pay bills. There is pressure from family and relationships. There is ministry pressure and team pressure. There is physical and mental pressure. The demands of life remain and can grow big. We don't like to feel pressure. We want rescued when the pressure gets to be too much. We look for an escape. What do you do when under pressure?
Life on earth is filled with pressure and no one is immune. How we respond to pressure and what it can teach us is important to consider. Do we praise God for the pressure and let Him help us and lead us, or do we collapse, complain and compromise? Unfortunately, the latter is much more common.
The Bible tells us some interesting things about pressure and actually good news about it ...
Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. James 1: 2-4
My strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Corinthians 12:9
You are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. 2 Corinthians 4:8
As I think about the year behind and the way ahead, there were times of big pressure. I didn't think I could do what God wanted me to do, I complained at times. I freaked out at other times. I want to do better under pressure because what happened in those pressure points was what He has done all my life... He held me and helped me through pressure and I became better with Him and because of Him through those times.
What God has been teaching me and reminding me about pressure is ...
-Pressure can push what's inside of you - out. It can show you things you try to hide. This can bring great humility which can lead to needed repentance. What comes of us under pressure can be doubt, insecurity, fear, blame, shame, regret, complaining, anger. God can show us these to help us address these things. They can destroy us from the inside out. God wants to address what we try to hide.
-Satan works big in our pressure. He wants us to look at the load and not at God. He wants us to compromise and complain and panic under the pressure. He distorts the reality of what is happening. He makes us curse the storm or think the enemy is one thing or person or group when the reality is actually different. Satan makes us cynical and pessimistic, he divides us. He works to ruin our witness and diminish and distort our light. He robs us of peace and joy and hope that actually is ours to claim and stand on and in. He messes with us when we are under pressure, but we don't have to let him!
-God stays with us in the pressure. He might not take the pressure off, but He helps us hold in place. He meets us in the pressure and calms us. We learn about Him when we're with Him in the darkest of nights and hottest of fires. He doesn't leave us.
-God molds us in the pressure. The greatest work in our character can be done under the greatest pressure. As we learn and see His power, His love, His mercy, His provision, we learn to trust Him. Our faith increases. Our trust in Him increases. We grow and are transformed in the fire!
-In the pressure, can come the times of greatest ministry. In our weakness, He proves strong. Anointed ministry can happen when He's leading us, even when we are suffering. What starts to come out of us is actually worship and thanksgiving and gratitude ... it's shocking to see this in a life. Hope, joy, peace, courage, gratitude spills out... as you hold the Hand of the One who gives you Himself. Others see us in the pressure and they see our gratitude and worship and our witness shines brightly! It makes no sense and is a powerful testimony of God in us and with us!
Are you under pressure today? This Thanksgiving and holiday season? How are you doing?
Jesus knew pressure. He had to also hold in place. He did so for us. He now is our Merciful High Priest and Good Shepherd. We can trust Him to help us.
Spend time with Him this Thanksgiving and holiday season. Let Him remind you of all the reasons why you have to be thankful. As you see Him, the gratitude will come!
May we keep giving Him our gratitude in all seasons! May He shape us in the pressure to be more and more like Him! Please pray this for me!
He is worthy of all our thanks!
Praises and Prayer Requests for the way ahead...
-Praise God for many weeks of training with our new staff and our second year staff. We are so grateful for the amazing staff God has given us at EvaSUE! Please keep them in prayer as they launch into their regions.
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| Newest EvaSUE staff |
-Praise God for many trainings we've given in the volatile north regions of Ethiopia, may God water these seeds. Please pray for the remaining trainings we still have to give.
-Praise God for the Introduction to Missions Course I was able to give to church and ministry leaders in the Tigray area in the north. This eight day intensive course was a blessing for me to give. Please pray for this school and the students and this area of the country- that they will be encouraged and represent Jesus well!
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| Tigray Class, Mekelle |
-Please pray for our Regional Coordinator consultation week the first week in December, that as our lead staff come in from their regions, that we can encourage them and give them wisdom in every area.
-Please pray for me as I think through my time in USA and travel home for the holidays. I do need to raise support to come home. I also need to build up my ministry fund for 2026. If you'd like to make a one-time donation for that or for my holiday travel or to join my monthly support team ... you can give through this link:
https://www.globaloutreach.
Thank you for whatever God puts on our hearts to give. And thank you for your prayers and partnership so much! God is doing amazing things here!
I wish you and your family and friends and churches a very blessed Thanksgiving!
With Gratitude to you All and Love,
Holly
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