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Heart to Heart

    by Pat Chwialkowski

Thanks for Nothing
Date Posted: November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving is usually the time that we are able to reflect on our many blessings. However, this year is a little different. Instead of having a sense of gratitude for everything that we have, we could find ourselves disenchanted as we look around at the present chaos our world is in. In fact, it can be downright scary as we look at the unemployment rate, the volatile stock market, and see so much negativity around us. But if you think because of our economic crisis there is nothing to be thankful for this, I pray you will change your mind after reading the following story:

Last Thanksgiving was the time that my husband’s sister Susie and her family began a trial that too many families are familiar with. Sue and Jim have two sons, and their oldest son Nick married a beautiful young lady named Kristen in March of 2005. We all loved Kristen and got accustom to having her attend all our family functions. So it felt strange when she was not at the family Thanksgiving gathering last year. When Christmas came and once again “no Kristen” we really began to miss her. Then in January, my beautiful sister-in-law with tears in her eyes gave us the news—Nick and Kristen were having marital problems. My husband and I immediately began praying for Nick and Kristen and their little one year old daughter, Katie.

After the first of the year things for Kristen and Nick were not getting any better regardless of how much they were trying. Then one night in February when Kristen was all by herself an intense loneliness overcame her. Loneliness was no stranger to Kristen since her mother died of cancer in January of 2003 after battling this disease for most of Kristen’s young life. But this night the loneliness was different. This time it was so intense Kristen did not know if she could go on living.

Kristen knew that taking her own life was not an option. Instead, she began crying out for help from the depths of her soul. Talking to God was nothing new to Kristen, since at the age of 13 she went forward at a church service and accepted Jesus as her Savior. Kristen went through all the motions of living the Christian life including attending church on a regular basis. No one would have ever suspected that maybe the relationship that she had with God was not the “real thing”. In fact not even Kristen was aware of this truth. Until…

On February 20th when she could no longer take it, Kristen went to her pastor. As he asked her some serious questions, the realization that she really was not living the true Christian life became very evident to her. You see Kristen knew Jesus as her Savior, but she never allowed Jesus to be Lord of her life. Kristen then moved out of the driver’s seat of her life and allowed Jesus Christ to take the controls. He then began taking Kristen places that she had never been before. For the first time in her life, Kristen felt powerless…but it felt so right.

Kristen was baptized this past Sunday in obedience and celebration of her new life in Christ. As she shared her story with her church family, she said, “I did not find God, He found me, and I can’t wait until the day I can say thank You Lord face to face”. Yes, Kristen found out that Jesus can take our “nothing” and turn it into “something”, if only we are willing to relinquish complete control over to Him.

If you feel you have nothing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season, may I suggest you do what Kristen did. Let God find you and turn your “thanks for nothing” into “thanks for (__fill in the blank__)”. Then maybe I can write your story one day. I would love to hear from you: hearttoheart@bex.net.

You turned my wailing into dancing;

You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Psalm 30:11-12

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Biography Information:

Founder and Director of Key Ministries located in Lexington South Carolina.  You can reach us at keyministries@yahoo.com.  .

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