DAY 24: "Grateful People" by Emma Kate Mikels

DAY TWENTY-FOUR: "Grateful People" by Emma Kate Mikels

Grateful People

It is time that we give you honor
This is the day to give you
All the praise that you deserve
Yes, it's time to give you honor
This is the day to give you
All the praise that you deserve

A Holy King, of everything
Inhabit the praises of Your people
A Holy King, of everything
Inhabit the praises of Your people

Have we waited far too long to surrender
Forgive us Oh God the years
We failed to seek your face
Oh Lord, your mercy turns us into
Grateful people
We can't seem to find the words
So take our lives that there might be enough
To tell you how grateful
Lord, we are grateful

lyrics by: Watermark

Grateful. That is what I am. Grateful. Incredibly grateful to worship every week with passionate followers of Jesus Christ. My gratefulness began though when our Lord gave us His man. Back when we were praying for this church that may be one day – we knew that we had to be patient and wait on a pastor sent from our Father above. We prayed that God would give him a burden for Tupelo – the Lord heard our cries and answered our prayer.

Sophie referred to the first encounter several of us had with Kevin Wood, our pastor. We heard a humble man, crying out to God on behalf of sooooooo many. It moved me to tears. We all walked away with hearts full of excitement. What if? God, would you really send us Kevin and Traci? They don’t even know who we are!

I remember when we went to Brook Hills to hear him preach in person. They announced he was preaching that day and over 2,000 people stood up to cheer. Just so thrilled to have Kevin “in the house.” I remember thinking – there is NO WAY they’ll ever leave all of this to come to a no name church in Tupelo. They did -- because they were obedient to the extraordinary call God placed on their lives.

My journal in June 2006 reads “God, may we, in your perfect time, walk into that church we dream of. A place where your man stands with a heart for you alone and you MOVE like mighty rushing water through him. Lord - may ‘water gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert’”(obviously I was studying Isaiah at the time). Lord, thank you for your faithfulness. Lord, thank you for a humble leader and pastor whose heart is tender and whose compassion runs deep. Thank you for Traci, whose giftedness runs deep and wide. Thank you for their servant hearts and gentle spirits. We love them so much!! If you haven’t had the opportunity to get to know them PLEASE reach out to them. They are fun lovin, hilarious, REAL, authentic, and bold believers!

Trace Crossing, my prayer is that we would be a grateful people, that we would never run short of expressing our gratefulness to our staff who all do more behind the scenes than we’ll ever know. We always want to be a body that prays for God to MOVE - to remove our “me” attitudes so that he can – and that thanks him in gratefulness with our praise.

My prayer for Trace Crossing:
Lord, thank you for Trace Crossing. Thank you for Kevin. Lord, we pray that you would protect his heart and pour out your blessings on him. May we be a body that expresses our gratefulness to your love and mercy with our very lives. Lord, you have richly blessed our faith family again and again and again. Forgive us Lord where we fall short daily and have mercy on us Father. May we be a grateful people who serves and loves you passionately.