I am currently in the process of writing a book called “The Vast Expanse Of Faith” which will be Part 77 of The Book of Benjamin Kareth…

I just worked on Chapter 3: The Vast Expanse Of Life… and when I finished God was like, “Post what you have written.” Oh, how I don’t like when He asks me to do that with drafts. Ugh… but in obedience I post this now for you:

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Part 77: The Vast Expanse Of Faith

(Coming soon…)

Chapter 3: The Vast Expanse Of Life (First Draft)

If we are going to come to understand the vast expanses of faith we have to come to understand the vast expanse of life itself. We must come to understand what a wonderful gift life itself is.

Consider a question with me for a moment: “Are you thankful to God for the gift of life He has given to you?”

When I come to God in the morning after I wake to a new day and purpose my heart to be grateful to God I find the first thing I am grateful for is being alive. I am grateful that God created me. I am grateful for breath.

Think about it for a moment. Think about all the things you love. Set aside the other things for a bit and just ponder within yourself the things that you love in this life and the things that make you smile.

Let me tell you what I am thankful for so that you can get a picture of what the vast expanse of life encompasses.

I am thankful that I am tall. I am thankful that I am blond. I am thankful for my blue eyes, of which I always joke are the color of “the sea after a storm”. I am thankful for my personality. I am thankful that I always see the good in life. I am thankful for my love of nature and green things. I am thankful for the color green. I love the different shades of the color green. I love green grass and green trees. I love sweeping green hillsides as the wind blows through the grass.

I am thankful for my dad and my mom. I am thankful for my seven siblings and for their spouses. I am thankful for every single person I have ever had the privilege of knowing… and I have met a million people it seems. I have come to be so thankful for each one of my “great loves” in my life. I am thankful for everyone I have loved. I am thankful for my exes and the times I had with them. I am thankful for traveling the world with my family and sharing Jesus with the people we met. I am thankful for the struggles and trials my family has faced.

I am thankful for the sexual abuse that I suffered as a child. I am thankful for those moments because it has allowed me to be able to have the divine opportunity to forgive those who have sinned so horribly against me.

I am thankful for the pain of rejection and loss that I have experienced in the 43 years of this life. I am thankful for these pains because it has allowed me to truly experience the love of God washing over me. I am thankful for the way God accepts me for who I am and who He knows I will become through Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for the food that I love. I love spaghetti. I love watermelons. I love potato soup. And oh how I love my morning coffee with just a little bit of sugar and milk. I love that first sip of coffee when I hold the warm mug in both hands, still half-asleep and trying to wake up.

I am thankful for the calling that God has placed on my life. I am thankful for the story He is writing with my life that has and will continue to point people upward toward the God I love so much.

I am thankful for the ability to sit here in the quiet and use the two hands God has given me to write these words for you. I am thankful for the intelligence that I have been given. I am thankful for the education I have received. I am thankful for the emotions that fill me as I listen to the LORD speaking as I write down His Words.

I am thankful that God created me. I am thankful that He thought of me. I am thankful that He fashioned me in my mother’s womb. I am so very thankful for being created. I am thankful that He drew me to Himself. I am thankful for the relationship that I have with Him. I am thankful for all the times I have been able to use my personality, talents, and gifts He has given me to serve the advancement of His kingdom on this earth and to bring His great Name glory, honor, and praise.

I am thankful for the vast expanse of life I have experienced in such a short number of years.

I could go on and on and on about all the things I am thankful to God for in this life but I’ll leave it at that.

Consider the vast expanse of your life and consider how the vast expanse of your life is a part of the vast expanse of faith in Jesus Christ.

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