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Preserved– Seeing Through Eyes of Thankfulness

French author Marcel Proust wrote that “The real voyage of discovery consists

not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” What I like about this quote is

that I believe it provides insights on how to move forward as we end one of the most

divisive Presidential political campaign seasons in recent memory. It may seem like the

racist and sexist bigotry that characterized the campaign exposed problems that both

Democrats and Republicans blame the other for.

I remember similar divisions in 2000, 2004 and 2016 after the Presidential

election. Even though they were disappointed with election loses, some Democrats

expressed relief that that the burden and responsibility of responding to things like the

terrorism of the 911 attacks rested squarely on the shoulders on the Republican led

Congress and President Bush. It didn’t seem like it first, but eventually Democrats saw

the loses as good things.

In much the same way, we complain to God and initially get frustrated when he

doesn’t answer our prayers when and how we like. We are devastated when the house

that we pray for gets sold to someone else. Spiritual temper tantrums are the norm

when we spend invest our hearts into someone and they marry someone else.

Eventually, time passes and we choose to see our lives with new eyes and realize that

God has a better plan for us. We spend so much time focusing on what we didn’t get

that we miss what God has for us on the other side of that disappointment: a challenge

to trust Him and his awesome sovereignty again.


One benefit of seeing things with new eyes is that it makes it easier to trust God

again as we pass the test of being able to congratulate the person who got what we

wanted. An even bigger test is praying that God would bless that person when we see

them run into difficulties with their new blessings. Being able to pray that kind of

prayer requires that we choose to see with new eyes and to be thankful in all things at

all times regardless of the reason why we believe he didn’t allow it to happen for us.

As we continue in this season of Thanksgiving, many people reflect on their

many blessings from God. But have you ever thanked God for not giving you

something? It seems a little odd to thank God for not giving you something, but this

kind of thankfulness forces us to take a crash course in spiritual maturity as well as see

the world through of the eyes of a stronger and more trusting faith. Psalm 9:10 says

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those

who seek you.” Some of you may be greatly disappointed that your candidate didn’t

win and think that God hasn’t answered your prayer. It could be in the loss that God

wants you to earnestly seek after him and learn to trust Him again.


Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from

Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A

Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow

her on Twitter @shewanda.

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