Author Archives: Susan Browder

About Susan Browder

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”  Hebrews 11:1 I grew up in a small town in Alabama called Boligee. I am a wife and a mom to two sons, Nick who is 24 and married to his sweet wife, Mallory, and Jacob who is 18.  My husband, Nicky, is a person of who I am so proud. Our lives changed forever on September 6, 2014 about 7:00 pm. Our son, Jacob, had an accident that would deeper our faith in God and challenge us in ways we never dreamed. My prayer is that our story will encourage others in their struggles with life altering experiences. My writing will be our testimonies but more than that it is about how we have a loving, caring God that carries us through the most difficult times of our lives.

The First Thank You Now

Free image/jpeg, Resolution: 1236×1600, File size: 148Kb, poster for giving thanks to the Lord

 

“The First Thank You Now”

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;

with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;

may I never forget the good things he does for me.

3 He forgives all my sins

and heals all my diseases.

4 He redeems me from death

and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

5 He fills my life with good things.

My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Psalm 103:1-5 (NLT)

Thank you Lord

Since 2014 happened to us, I always thank the same person first. My first thank-you always goes to the Lord. My words are the same when I lay my head down at night, when I rise in the morning, and throughout the day, “Thank you Lord.”

Why does it take something so life changing or so significant to happen for most of us to see this? Giving thanks in my most difficult times has changed my life. It has given me a different mindset. These heartbreaking moments and difficult times have given me such a grateful heart. It has caused me to search for the lesson. These moments also helped me remember difficult times are seasons and they pass.

Difficult thank you’s

Sometimes my thank-yous are difficult to spot. If you are a teacher, mom, or are in contact with kids in any way, you are going to have times where chaos or not so fun days are unavoidable. I just started my twenty-fifth year teaching and challenging students are inevitable. One year I had a student and he was tough. There were times where he showed me what a great kid he was. Then there were other days where he got the better of me. It was such an inconsistent process. Having gone through much tougher moments in life, has helped me to find my peace and positive thought process when things don’t go the way I want them to. So I found myself one day asking God to just show me something positive in this young man on a consistent basis. I prayed for this. I began to see a light in this young man’s eyes and I began to get a consistent “good morning” back when I said good morning instead of a blank look.

God works in us

You see, I believe this is how God works. He prepares us! When we trust in Him through our toughest days, He teaches us to trust Him with our anythings. No matter how big or small our troubles are, he can grab hold of them.

So the next time you experience unwanted moments and difficult trials, remember to trust God with it all. Remind your heart and mind, God always works everything out for His glory. Always let Him be your first thank you! Trust in Him and believe.

Counting My Blessings,

Susan Browder

 

Healer by Kari Jobe