A Bouquet of Flowers
by Karen Tripp
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15 NIV).
I guess I’m like most women; I love getting flowers. It’s kind of silly, really. It’s not like flowers are good for anything. Yet, my grandmother told me that flowers are the most gracious of gifts because they don’t do anything except make you happy. It’s true. Flowers don’t have to do anything for me to love them. I just love them because of what they are.
In our loving relationships it’s easy to think, “I love them because…
“They make me laugh.”
“They’d do anything for me.”
“They hold me together when I’m falling apart.”
It’s wonderful to recognize the things our loved ones do—but what about when you don’t see them doing anything to show their love? It’s important to remember that you don’t just love their actions, you also love them for who they are. Maybe it’s their strength, their gentleness or their courage that fills your heart with love. This is loving them for who they are, not just for what they do.
There are times when it’s harder to see what God is doing in your life. Cancer can be one of those times. You may still feel immensely thankful for all the blessings God has placed in your life, but at times, on days filled with fatigue and frustrations, it can be easy to wonder, “What is God doing?”
In our verse today we learn we are called to love God not just for what He does, but for who He is: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.” Praising God is different than thanking God. We thank God for what He has done. We praise God for who He is.
You probably say lots of prayers of thanksgiving to God for all the blessings in your life. Prayers of praise are different. I call prayers of praise “You are” prayers because you begin by saying, “You are.” “Lord, You are … merciful. You are gracious, loving, kind, steadfast, powerful, abundant—” and couldn’t you go on and on?
Does it sound like I am splitting hairs? What’s the big deal? Does it really matter if you only say prayers of thanksgiving, and no prayers of pure praise? No, all prayers are good prayers. But you will not want to miss out on the experience of just praising God. For me, these “You are” prayers increase my certainty of who God is in my life. They lift my awareness of the unfathomable presence of the Maker of Heaven and Earth—not just in my life, but in my every breath. These prayers can be a powerful tool to push back cancer, so you can more clearly see the loving smile of God. Could you use a clearer view of God’s smile today? Give praise a try.
Pray: God, You are …
Your Turn: Take a moment to write down words that you feel describe God: loving, kind, merciful, powerful, steadfast, giving, and gracious might be on your list. Then, quietly lift up each one. “God, You are loving. God, You are kind.”
Karen Tripp, MS LMFT Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Executive Director of Cancer Companions, the premiere national Christian cancer ministry. Her roles have included authoring several Christian books including God is Bigger Than Your Cancer and working as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a daughter of a colon cancer survivor. Karen uses her experience to teach how to step into another person’s struggle to help build their faith while strengthening your own.