Thankful Thursday-Prayer

Yesterday, our younger daughter left her New Testament book on the kitchen table. In her new school, that she has been attending since the autumn of 2006, the Principal who is also the owner, a lady in her 60s, makes a point of teaching the last two classes of Primary school from that book herself. It is outside the state curriculum and people have many times spoken bad to me about her and her school in the past. That is one of the reasons I didn't want the kids to go to that school (apart from the fact that it is private and costly), and, I am sorry to say, I actively discouraged others from sending their children, too.

The bookmark was on James 5. I said to myself that I was too busy to stop and read what it said, but after awhile I sat down and read.

13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
(James 5:13-16, 19-20,NIV)

I googled the passage to have it translated in English, but Google couldn't find it because I was typing absent mindedly "Jacob" instead of "James". So I randomly (?) typed "Luke 15".
Here is what Bible Gateway came up with:

1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

And further down:

10 I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Oh my God! Can you see this? Angels rejoicing? In heaven? For me?
I am so overwhelmed, over the top, down on my knees, as I write this.

I am thankful that I have come to believe in a God that is loving and forgiving and merciful.

I am thankful that I can trust Him.

I am thankful because He IS the perfect father I longed for and that He will not let me down.

I am thankful for my family and our home and the baby steps it takes for our house to be built. I am thankful for my thoughtful, caring, loving, playful blogging friends. I am thankful for work and for beauty. For the first signs of Spring, the crisp night air and the new blossoms in our balcony.

I am thankful for the books that I read, that make sense and speak to my heart, Get out of that Pit and The Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study. I look forward to reading them every night. I am thankful for going to church, and I am thankful that C is not complaining. Do you feel that way, looking forward to Sunday morning, or do you think I should put more of Christ in my daily life so that I don't crave church so much? Probably so, but it is beautiful.

And I am thankful to Iris for hosting this, and offering me the chance to stop and reflect and express gratitude.

Thank you all.