Thanks for the drought

The 29DEC CCF was our last meeting in 2005 and we dedicated this meeting to thanks-giving to God for what He has done in our lives this year.

As you can read from my previous post, lots of things have happened to me and my family this year and I am most grateful for them. But today, when I was sitting in that room, gathering with other brothers and sisters, giving God our thanks and glorifying Him with our testimony, another thought came into my mind.

I wanna thank God for the spiritual drought I have been experiencing in the past 6+ months.

It's strange - at least it's strange to me! I think it must be from the Holy Spirit. Because from myself, I could hardly say "thanks" and be grateful for such period of dryness. But it is THAT miraculous, this thought that Holy Spirit has put into my heart. So I shared with the group and thanked our Lord for it.

It's most amazing and such a brand new feeling for me. I have prayed and prayed to our Lord to try get away from this drought before. I had never been grateful for it. To me, it was something no good, either because of sin or because of prunning. In either case, something I need to get away and escape from.

But since this thanksgiving gathering and Holy Spirit's reminder, I started to have a new feeling about it. A whole new sense of peace and joyfulness, the sense of God's presence in my life. A way different from before in the "sweet sweet smile" time, but, He's here. He has been with me, all along. He only wants the best for me, as He always does, including this difficult time. It may still be difficult, it may still be tough. But now, I learn to be grateful, and really giving my thanks and praise to God, even in such time.

It's such a new experience. And my Lord, I thank you again for this. Thank you.