Thankful Thursday # 9

With thanks to Iris at Sting My Heart for an opportunity to stop focusing on all the things I have to do--and instead consider all the reasons I have to be thankful!

Iris is talking about relationships this week over at her blog, so of course, I started thinking of all the relationships I've had in my life, both good and bad. And then I realized I have a lot to be thankful for because God has taught me all I ever needed to know about what makes a relationship good.

This week, I am thankful that God taught me that a good relationship is based on:

• LOVE: Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:2
• FORGIVENESS: Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. Micah 7:18
• MERCY: ... he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit ... Titus 3:5
• STEADFASTNESS: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end ... Lamentations 3:22
• SACRIFICE: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

God forgives me when I don't get the relationship thing right--when I am unloving or unforgiving.

I am so thankful God isn't a 50-50 relationship kind of God--you know, where He waits for me to throw in my 50 percent of the effort before He does his part.

God gives more than 100 percent to have a reconciled relationship with me. If I keep my eyes on Him, I can learn alot about how to be in right relationship with others.