004: Giving Thanks

-Transcript-

Bruce: Welcome to episode four of our Unshackled Love podcast. I'm Bruce Payne sitting here with my gorgeous wife, 

Kaila: Kaila Payne. And for those of you who are just joining us, we are two teachers in the greater Austin area, and we are blessed with the opportunity of raising nine beautiful children. 

Bruce: Yes, they are absolutely beautiful and wonderful, just like their mommy 

Kaila: most of the time.

And then sometimes they're like their daddy,

Bruce: Which is super wonderful,

Kaila: and a little crazy. 

Bruce: A lot of crazy.

Kaila: Today we come to you this day after Thanksgiving to talk about just that. We're gonna talk about Thanksgiving and what we're thankful for. And, the past few weeks we've haven't posted a podcast just because of life and the craziness that has ensued and things that have come in the way. And so this week, Bruce and I really wanted to be intentional about getting back on the horse, making this podcast for you and just really reflecting on God's goodness, even through a season of life that just seems so crazy.

Bruce: It does seem crazy. I think that would be an understatement just based on what's kind of gone on with us through, you know, starting summertime, going through now. And, you know, it's, as I say to my, my men friends who are my men's bible study, I mean, I feel like it's been a constant kick to the nuts. You know, since day one that we started this ministry in podcast from a car accident, to one of our kids almost getting ran over by a car to another car accident, to kids being sick, to work, to new jobs, whatever it might be. There's just been a ton going on. And as a result, I just feel like every step of the way that we've been going further with ministry, the more that the devil has risen up to the challenge of us trying to start this and, and trying to get in the way.

He's done a decent job of it, and it's, it's been one of those things where, you know, we've contemplated sitting here doing another podcast over the last 3, 4, 5 weeks. We actually did go through and do one that we, have to redo just because the audio didn't turn out well. And after that one it's just been kind of sitting here on, on the sideline, waiting to do another podcast.

And so, just going through our own anxieties, you know, feeling unworthy at this point in time, just tired of life and everything going on. We said, Hey, you wanna know what, what better week to get back on the horse than right now in a week of given thanks. And so, today we are gonna be in Psalms 100.

It's kind of funny, I came across this passage the week before Thanksgiving, last week, just going through, reading through the Psalms right now. And, I was like, man, there, there's so much packed in this small chapter that is so relevant to us today and even where my gorgeous wife and I stand, it was, it hit me in the face, and so I'm gonna go through and read it right now.

It says, "Shout with joy to the Lord all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his. We are His people. The sheep of his pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving. Go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever and his faithfulness continues to each generation." 

Kaila: That's a short chapter, it's only five verses, but like Bruce said, there's so much packed into that tiny passage and when you really break it down, we see three main themes or three kind of components that we're gonna talk about, and it's: a) what we're supposed to do; b) why we should do it and c) how we do it. 

And so let's just go ahead and break it down verse by verse. And the first thing that this verse tells us is what we should do. Verses one and two say, "Shout with joy to the Lord all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness and come before him singing with joy." And so this is kind of a command.

This is telling us what we need to do. We need to praise God. We need to worship him, and we need to worship him with joy and gladness. And sometimes I know that our hearts don't necessarily reflect that, especially whether it's a busy time or it's a time of, the desert, you know, where there's little or maybe there's struggle and we're having to rely on God. Or maybe there's tribulation and it's a really difficult time and you're fighting trials and so, to come before God and be joyful, like in this verse, to me it just makes it seem like it's a command. Like he's telling us this is how he expects us to approach Him. 

Bruce: Oh, definitely. And, and I think when you go through life, right, there are ups and downs in peaks and valleys and it's, you know, in our lives we've gone through quite a bit the last few weeks just trying to get back on this horse.

And, and throughout that time we have some of the close family friends who are going through some. Rough times in life as well. And, and it's amazing to me that their witness in my life, right? Like they could sit there, they're, they're going through some battles, with physical stuff going on with their bodies, and they choose to be glad regardless of their circumstances.

And in this verse, that's what it says. It says, worship the Lord with gladness, not with sorrow, not with pity, not with anything else. We can choose the worship with gladness. It's a choice to be glad. It's a choice to come to him when whether the circumstances are good or they're not very good. It's. Our choice to come with gladness.

Kaila: And it's also your choice, how you look at the situation, right? So we can sit there and we can look at all the negative things and we can, oh, poor pity me, poor this like I, you know, I can't do this. Or looking at all the bad things and looking at it from a view of what we lack, or we can look at it in the ways that God's providing through those challenges and through those difficult times.

I think like you were. Even with our own challenges or with our friends in the way that they're able to witness to us and be a living example of that. So with us, we got in a car accident and, we lost, we totaled our first car. So that was the first accident, but it was like, Well, looking at the good, our insurance covered the total payment of it.

We were able to get a new car. We had friends who actually were able to help us get into a new car quickly, so we weren't out of a car for that long. Like there were so many ways that God provided even in that time. And so you can choose how you look at a situation, and I think that if we focus on all the bad and all the things that we don't have, then we miss those opportunities where God is moving and the ways that God is providing.

Bruce: Correct. And I think that's been a hundred percent the what's going on with us. I think the last few weeks we've spent a lot of time not looking at the right things correctly or through the right lens, right. Just, with everything going on, I think the best way to put it is we're just tired and and rather than go through this tired part of life with gladness, it's almost been a pity party, almost like, man, I just don't have time to do what it is God's calling us to do. Or even when we do do it and we do read the Bible, whatever it might be, it's not been with a heart full with gladness. So, 

Kaila: Yeah, the next one though is why. So why do we have joy? Why should we be glad? And that comes straight from verse three. It says, "Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his." That's only half the verse. I'm gonna keep reading. But even if I just, stopped there like he made us, and we are his. And I think that that just models the Lord's Prayer, right?

Like when Jesus gives us that model to pray, the first thing he says is, "Hallowed be your name". And it's just having that reverence of who God is that he created the entire universe and he put the stars in the sky and he set the world into motion. And then that same big God, like he made you and me. 

Bruce: And he made us in his image. Right? I think that's part of it. The reality is God is God and we are not. And there are so many circumstances that, like I said, we keep going back and forth. For us, it's been a lot, a lot of stuff going on and during that time we can sit there and try to be in control, but at the end of the day, we're not. We are not in control of what has happened with anything that we've gone through. At the end of the day, God is in control. And the moment that we can sit there and realize and put that into focus, things go a lot smoother at that point. Just because we don't understand why something happens now or why it's been happening the last 3, 4, 5 weeks, God knows why it's happening.

Kaila: Mm-hmm. 

Bruce: Maybe it's to sit there and sharpen our hearts, you know, maybe it's to sit there and sharpen us emotionally, whatever's going on. And so God is God, and we are not. And the second part of this is we are the sheep of his pasture. You know, there's the song that talks about him leaving the 99 and coming from the one.

And I think it's important to understand that in life, including with us in life, God loves us so much that he's willing to sit there and drop everything else in life to sit there and help us and tend to our needs in a time of need. He's willing to sit there and leave the 99 to come find us in our pit of despair, right?

And so whatever that pit of despair is that you're going through right now, you're not alone. God knows what's going on. The reality is, are you choosing to sit there and go towards God or call for God? Or are you gonna sit there and, and wallow and pity and sit there and say, poor me. 

Kaila: Even more so than that. What's so funny to me, and I just can't help but smirk whenever I read about this analogy of humans being like the sheep because I've heard this in a couple different studies about how sheep are actually considered very unintelligent animals. They the, the dull cran in the box 

Bruce: is, is, is there a reason why they're like blonde? I'm just kidding. My wife is blonde and she's gorgeous and beautiful, and she's much more book smart than me. But she still blonde like a sheep. 

Kaila: In, but real talk sheep without their shepherd, they say that sheep would literally walk off a cliff like they don't havethe intelligence... 

Bruce: If you've seen my wife drive, it might be off a cliff as well.

Kaila: Oh my gosh. 

Bruce: I'm just kidding. 

Kaila: We're talking about sheep and Jesus. So let me, let me stay on topic. So sheep would literally walk off a cliff if it were not for their shepherd guiding them. And so, when we see that we are his people, the sheep of his pasture I think about just kind of being under God's protection. That if we were just left , on our own, we'd walk off a cliff and how comforting that even when we're going through all of those things, like my husband was saying, right, we might not know. We're just walking and we're wandering and we have no idea where we're going or where it leads, but the shepherd, our God is there to protect us and comfort us and he sees where we're going. And so I love that analogy and that picture of being the sheep of his pasture. 

Bruce: And just real quick, you know what sheep, Jesus, and Kayla all have in common?

Kaila: Oh goodness. What's that? 

Bruce: You're all five letter. 

Kaila: Okay, great. 

Bruce: Anyways, go ahead. 

Kaila: So then, now that we know why we worship God, the next verse tells us how we're to worship God. And so this is how we do it. And it says "We enter his gates with thanksgiving." 

Bruce: Wait, does it, does it say, enter in crying and complaining. No. Enter his gates with thanksgiving. 

Kaila: Go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name." And to me, I really feel like this verse is a reference to prayer. We can come and pray to God and we can, and he wants us to pray earnestly and to share our feelings and share our emotions.

But kind of going back to like the Lord's Prayer, right? Like when we enter his gates, when we come to him, I feel like starting off with Thanksgiving and praise and praising Him, praising His name, choosing to look at the good, it changes our heart it gives us that attitude of gratitude and I feel like it just puts God in his place and it puts me in mine.

And then it changes the relationship where I can truly worship Him for His goodness. And then it changes also my needs and what I'm praying for. 

Bruce: Well, I think the biggest thing there is you said the word choose. It's a choice. It's a choice to give thanks. It's a choice to praise His name. And you know, if you go through the Bible and there's all kinds of people who go through good and bad, and, and you look at the the heroes of our faith as Phil Wilkin would say, is, there's people who went through a lot of bad. Look at Job.

 How long do Job sit there and suffer for? And the reality is, during that time he sat there he gave thanks and he praised the Lord and it's up to us. The last 3, 4, 5 weeks, you know, we, we've given thanks. But has it been with the right heart? Has it been in the right context?

Has it been, you know, coming from a part of our heart that is sincere, right? Not mm-hmm. , not just because I have to, I feel obligated to sit here and pray today, but because I want to. 

Kaila: Or I think the other part of that too is just like, whew, okay, good. God will get us through it. And then moving on, instead of like really appreciating all the ways. Not to take it for granted, but kind of, you know?

Bruce: Well, it is that you sit, you sit down and pray. We sit there and pray together and it's like, Hey, dear God, it's like the same thing day after day after day for like 3, 4, 5 times, because we're doing it out of It's part of our schedule and part of our calendar. This is what we do. 

Rather than actually sitting there breaking down saying, "Hey God, you wanna know what, regardless of what's going on in our life, we're choosing to give thanks to you. Right now, we're sitting here, we're willing to, praise your name regardless of our circumstance. 

Kaila: Yeah, and I think that's why he gives us verse five, and I love that you brought up Job, because verse five is the reminder that "For the Lord is good and his unfailing love continues forever and his faithfulness continues to each generation."

And I think that when you read the Bible, And you read about Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and God's faithfulness and how, he showed up for them time and time again and how the relationship that he had with those people and then we read about Jesus, right? And Jesus showing up and all the miracles that Jesus did and how Jesus pointed the people to God. 

And even after Jesus left and the apostles were doing miracles in Jesus' name, and then we get in the hustle and the grind of today, and it's like we don't see those same miraculous acts of God, or maybe you do see them, but then it's drowned out by the world of today. And I think we need to remember that the God of the Bible, Always has been and always will be the same God.

So his faithful love, the love that He had for Abraham is the love that He has for me and the love He had for Jesus is the love that he has for me. And His faithfulness continues to each generation. And so when I'm feeling like. Oh, pity me and poor me and all this is happening to me. I need to get out of that and I need to step out of that lie because God is telling me right here in His word.

Like my faithfulness and my love is there for you. It's the same love that I've had for all these other people and I love you just the same. And just cuz you're going through a difficult time doesn't mean I love you any less. 

Bruce: No, definitely. And earlier this week, we're sitting there. One morning I wake up and I'm getting ready and the next thing I know, I'm singing a Chris Toman song. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endured forever. Sing praise" or "give praise," whatever it says. And I just keep singing it every single day.

And it's funny, today I had the chance to go to Bible study with a group of guys who I adore and admire. One of 'em looks like Santa Claus. Legitimately. I'll have to get a picture of him put on our website. But just, elderly gentlemen who are full of wisdom, who, who I adore. And it's been a while. They have bible studies on Friday, and I'm a teacher and I can't necessarily make it at nine o'clock every Friday. And today I had the opportunity to do so. And as we got started, you know, it went for a good two and a half hours today.

Normally Bible studies, maybe an hour, an hour and 15. Today, it was a good two and a half hours. And a common theme or a theme that popped up today, it brought up the word steadfast, which makes me kind of pivot from Psalms 100 to Psalms 107, which talks about God's steadfast love. 

And in Psalms 107:1, it says, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." So real quick, I'm gonna ask you, I already know what my answer is for the word steadfast. What does the word steadfast mean to you?

Kaila: To me, when I hear the word steadfast, I just think of persistent, never gives up. It just keeps on going like forever and ever and ever and ever. And steadfast even too, kind of has that connotation to me that like, even when it's hard, I'm just gonna keep, keep loving you, keep loving you.

I'm just so steadfast that it doesn't matter what you do, it doesn't matter how much you mess up. It doesn't matter if you yell at me or call me a mean word. And like God can handle all those feelings and he can handle our sin and he can handle our imperfections. And even when it's tough to love us, He still loves us.

'Cause his love is that steadfast that it just keeps on going.. 

Bruce: Amen. And so when I sat there and sang that song, and I put it together with this verse, and I'm gonna go on just a couple more verses within this chapter. Think about what my wife just said about the word steadfast, right? No matter what you do, God is there. No matter how far you've gone from Him, God is there. Regardless of how nasty or dirty or gross you think your sin is, God is there. It, it is steadfast. It doesn't waver. It doesn't go up or down. He doesn't love you more or less. He loves you. Regardless of what it is you're choosing to do in life right now, regardless of how far you are from Him. 

And, it says, "oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Let the reedemed to the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty., Their souls fainted with them. Then they cried to the Lord in thier trouble, and he delivered them from their distress."

He didn't say just the north, just the south, just the east, just the west. It said everywhere. In this world, wherever you are right now, God is there to deliver you from what you're going through. It could be a marriage on the brink of failure. It could be a relationship you have with a family member, a kid. It could be something going on at work. It could be a loss of a job. Whatever it might be regardless of where you're at, God is there for you. God is there to rescue you from where you're at because his love is steadfast. 

Kaila: Yeah. I love that. That's so good. And so today, I guess we just want to ask you like what can you be thankful for?

Take a moment and just really connect with God and I just having a conversation with a woman this week another wonderful influence. I just love how God has been putting different people in our lives and kind of speaking to our hearts and where we're at. And we were talking about the importance of prayer and how even though prayer can and should be kind of a continuous conversation with God. Like, I can pray in the car and I can pray when I'm getting ready and I can pray in the shower and I can pray these things. It is so important to make time and space and to go into the closet like it talks about in Matthew and really find that quiet time of prayer and connecting with God, because I feel like that's when your heart starts to shift.

Like you have to have those real conversations. Texting is great text. Like that's what I think of like, like on the go prayers like shoot my text to God. Like, Hey God, pray for that person. Pray for this person. Like just shooting texts. Like that kind of prayer, like that's good, but we've gotta have a real deep conversation.

We've gotta pick up the phone, we've gotta call into God. We've gotta find that quiet time and that quiet space.

Bruce: Today, I came down the stairs today and my wife's like whimpering a little bit. I'm like, is everything okay? And she's like, yeah. I go, what's up? I go, you kind of. Same thing. It wasn't the closet, it was like our laundry room.

And she's like, I just needed a little closet time with God. And I was like, oh man. I go, you guys have a good conversation. She's like, yeah, my heart feels so much better. All the tears coming out. And I was like, man, here we go. I guess we are gonna podcast tonight. And I was like eight hours ago. 

You know, it's funny, we went weeks without doing a podcast or even a blog post and here we are today, getting both in. And it's a result of prayer, right? Not, not just us in what we have been praying for and what's been on her heart, and my heart the last week. But we've had bunches of people who have partnered with us in prayer and we continue to appreciate the prayer and would love the prayer and just in every different aspect for life, whether it's parenting our kids, whether it's our marriage, whether it's what we are supposed to do next . Last night, about 10:30 our time, I sent a text to a buddy who him and his wife have been amazing.

You know, just the finances have been tight for us and they felt it in their heart and the spirit to say, Hey, guess what? We're gonna sit there and tithe money to you guys over the last month or so. And so, even though like we've gone through some other aspects of life that have been very challenging, I mean, one of them was finances and this couple has said, Hey, guess what, we're gonna help you guys out for a bit. 

Just in terms of the ministry aspect of doing stuff, it's been amazing. So just last night I said, Hey man, I appreciate the support that you provided my family and I during this time, but, if you could just be praying there is real anxiety, maybe not even the word anxiety.

I know it's so word, someone around loosely now, but just really emotional distress as we're coming in to do this because we've been off the horse for so long or it seems so long. And he's like, yeah, man, definitely, all glory to God. 

And then this morning that Bible said once again, you know, an old coach who's the first high school coach who ever hired me. I reached out to him and I'm at the H-E-B, probably one of my favorite, grocery stores in America, here in Texas. If you're from Texas, you know what HEB is. And I'm sitting there in the produce section crying with tears down, 'cause I know what God is asking us to do. And I'm texting him, saying, Hey, can you please pray? And he's. Already am and will continue to do so. And it was just one of those moments of confirmation, just with prayer in our lives. 

So, I mean, you need to do it, and not just for yourselves, but for other people. And you need to be able to open up with other people and let them pray for you and partner with you. And so we just wanna say thank you, for those of you who are partnering with us. Thank you for, for being with us, with this journey, including getting back on the horse. 

We do have another podcast. I know in the very beginning we said that this was episode four. Technically it's episode five. We're gonna go with episode four. We do have another episode that was done with our daughter Zoe. Just happened to be that the audio did not turn out the best and that we have to redo it. But since we initially recorded that one, we've had some other life stuff happen and we've kind of been away from it. So our goal is to get that to you guys early next week as well.

Kaila: So one way that we would love to connect with you is on our website growingpaynes.org. You can find the link down in the show notes. We have a connection form where you can just fill out your name and send us a message, and we would love to hear what you're thankful for. Like what are you praising God for?

How is he showing up in your life? We would love to pray that and just praise God and thank God for all the ways that He is moving. And if you are on the opposite, maybe you're going through a time that feels like the desert. And you're really struggling to see God's goodness and God's faithfulness.

Maybe you just need someone to partner alongside of you and give you a fresh perspective. And we would love to do that as well. Bruce and I, I always joke that Bruce is like the real coach and then I kind of just like to talk to people. But together we make... 

Bruce: But no, no. On the flip side, she is the real teacher and I'm a great babysitter.

So anyways, go ahead. 

Kaila: We love to partner with people and we love to hear about your life stories, and we love to just shine the love that Jesus has poured into us and pour that out onto others. And so if you're interested in possibly coaching or connecting with one of us, please use the website and the form to connect with us and just be vulnerable 'cause like I said, this is God wanting to use us to reach others. And so we would be blessed with an opportunity to be used as His vessel if that's how we can support you. 

And normally Bruce ends in prayer, but I just really feel it on my heart to end in prayer today and so, We're gonna close this out.

Bruce: I appreciate you actually taking the time to pray now, 'cause normally it's like she looks at me with those big, gorgeous, beautiful eyes and stares at me. Like, what you gonna say? And I'm like, "I'm spent. I don't have much else to say right now." But I think the fact that she was able to go into the closet and pray and come out and be filled with the Holy Spirit, I think it's most definitely. In our best interest to let her pray right now. 

Kaila: All right, let's do it. 

Father, God, thank you for this time. Thank you for easing the anxiety and the spiritual battle that Bruce and I have been facing. Thank you for all of the prayers and the people that are praying for us and the people that are lifting us up.

Father God, thank you for your continued provisions for showing us that we are going down the right path, and you are just so faithful to provide. And sometimes we can't see the path ahead, but your word says that you are a lamp unto our feet. And so Father God, thank you just for showing us the next step and let us be looking for your next step because you are so good and you always provide and you love us steadfastly, no matter what we do. 

Father God, you love us until the end. And I am so thankful and appreciative of your love and that you guide me and you protect me, and you are our good shepherd. Father God, thank you for Psalms 100. Thank you for giving us this piece of wisdom of how important it is to praise you and to worship you, and for us to set our hearts and our eyes on you.

Father God, you are so amazing and so wonderful, and we are so blessed to have a God who gives us His Word and guides us and shows us the way to truly live and to live life abundantly. And so, Father God, thank you for taking my life and pulling me out of the depths of despair and giving me hope, and loving me and giving me purpose in your name, father God. And I pray for everyone listening today that you would just wrap them in your abundant love and so that we can praise your name for how wonderful and glorious you are, Father God.

We praise in Jesus' name. 

Amen. 

Bruce: Amen.