three years later... let's talk 🤍

[laughs] Now, I'm actually going to light each candle, and together, I want us to practice some just reflection and gratitude with the Lord.

So with each candle, we're all gonna do something together, all right? With this first candle, I want all of us to reflect and think of where we were at three years ago at this very time, and think about where you were at in your life, and something that you genuinely didn't think that you were going to make it out of.

And I think that in this moment, as we remember that, we just ask the Holy Spirit to remind us of His goodness and His faithfulness.

What are you living in today that that version of you three years ago was praying for? Now, with our second candle here, we are going to look at our life today.

Think of one thing in your life that you never wanna lose sight of, or, like, lose your gratitude for.

What is that very thing? That could be your family.

It could be friendships that the Lord has brought into your life.

Maybe it's your health.

Maybe it's healing.

Maybe that it's you simply have made it this far in your life, okay? But something that you don't wanna become so familiar to that you stop thanking God for it.

And our last candle, the future.

What is something in your life that you could place in God's hands? Something that's very uncertain, something that might be super scary, okay? But something about your future that you don't have clarity on, that you could fully surrender and practice complete trust in God for.

Like, what is something, if you were to blow out a candle right now on your birthday cake, what is something that you would wish for? But instead of wishing for it, how could we pray to God about that thing? What are you asking God for in this next year of your life, and are you willing to trust Him even if His answer is different than you hoped? Like, do you fully trust Him with the way that He delivers this very thing? And so wherever you are, okay, if you've thought of your three things, you don't have to say it out loud.

You could just hold it before the Lord.

But I say let's just take a couple seconds, and we're gonna blow out these candles together, okay? Jesus, thank you for everything that you have done in our lives that we have noticed, but everything that maybe you've done that has gone unnoticed.

Lord, we recognize that there are so many things that you are doing for us, and there's probably a lot more than we ever will actually know.

And so, God, we thank you for the things that we've noticed and seen, but even the things that go unseen.

Lord, I thank you that you are faithful, God, that you come through for us, and you protect us, and you love us, and you truly value and hang on to every word that we pray to you, God.

Lord, we thank you that this is not about what we can do for you or what you can do for us, but it's truly just about having a genuine relationship with the one who's created us.

And so, Lord, we thank you as we have the opportunity to reflect on your faithfulness in our lives, God.

Thank you for all the ways that you have carried us through times that felt really, really heavy.

So many tears that we've cried that maybe other people have not even seen.

Um, but you've collected every tear, God, and that you've heard every cry.

And so, Lord, we just thank you above all else just for your comfort, your faithfulness in the way that you don't abandon or forsake us, that you never would actually turn your cheek from us, that you come running to us when we call out to you and we need you.

And so, Lord, we thank you that you are everlasting, and that you do not change on your character or who you say you are.