The Monday before Thanksgiving, I found myself with several hours

of uninterrupted time.

I couldn’t let my closet and portions of our bedroom remain in their

state of clutter and confusion.

I could blame it on the glorious fall weather that created competition

between warm and cold weather clothes.

I could excuse the stack of books next to my bed and on my bookcase

as just for the love of reading.

The bottom line was that I need to get some control over this area of my

home that is supposed to be a sanctuary.

I organized my clothes and my stacks and I felt renewed.

Two of the four shelves of our shared small bookshelf are mine.

I could easily use all four 😉

One shelf, I devoted to books that I had uncovered

in my cleaning mission.

I will admit, they comprised books that I thought I had finished.

The scraps of paper marking pages declared that I was wrong.

One book placed on that shelf was  One Thousand Gifts.

Now rewind to a week prior to the great clean-up.

I saw an ad for a mobile phone application for the above book.

What caught my eyes was not the application as my phone is

old school.

This quote caught by eyes because I didn’t remember reading it:

Stress can be an addiction and worry can be a lunge for control. 
But the answer to every moment is always  yes because of Jesus.

I would find that I had no recollection as I had stopped reading

just pages before my eyes would have landed.

I read the last three chapters of the book over the next two

days.

They were chapters that I needed to read at just those moments.

As this book is devoted to gratitude and giving thanks, it was

perfect to read at Thanksgiving.

My ingrained  knee-jerk response would be to chide myself for not

finishing this book when it first was laid in my hands.

But the recovering Helen can exhale and know that perhaps these pages

were not meant to be consumed until now.

What might be uncovered if we each cleared away the clutter?

I will close with a few of my favorite quotes contained in the

last chapters.

They each seem like rich reminders for today and this season.

Worry is the facade of taking action when prayer really is. 
And stressed, this pitched word that punctuates every conversation, 
is it really my attempt to prove how indispensable I am? 
Or is it more? 
Maybe disguising my deep fears as stress seems braver somehow.
 
Fear keeps a life small.
 
Stress and anxiety seem easier.
Easier to let a mind run wild with the worry than to exercise discipline,
to reign her in, slip the blinders on and train her to walk steady ahead.
Are stress and worry evidences of a soul too lazy, 
too undisciplined, 
to keep gaze fixed on God?

To stay in love?
I don't like to ask these questions, 
sweep out these corners where eyes glare
from shadows. 
But this I must ask and I do, out loud.
Isn't joy worth the effort of trust?
Because I kid no one: 
stress brings no joy.

Trust is the bridge from yesterday to tomorrow,
built with planks of thanks.  
Remembering frames up gratitude.  

Gratitude lays out planks of trust.

I can walk the planks--from known to unknown--and know:  
He holds.

I love that a book uncovered can be opened at just the right time

and encourage.

I love even more that each time I open up the Word…

it is always the right time,

it is always full of encouragement,

and it helps me uncover new truths, promises,

perspective and more layers of grace and love.

What will you uncover this week?