A Breath Of Praise

A Breath Of Praise

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Psalm 50:14-15

Lillian’s presence was magnetic; she had a way of drawing people in with her joy and laughter. But a terrible thing happened when she contracted HIV after her husband had an affair.

HIV is a terrible disease that has killed thousands of people and weakened many more through complications. I would have thought that Lillian would be angry and bitter, but she wasn’t. Even when she was at her weakest and couldn’t laugh or talk, she could still smile—and she did.

When she came in to see me one day, I could see that the disease was slowly draining the life out of her.

“I don’t know why I’m on this journey,” she said. “But I believe God has a purpose for my life. I know my time on earth is going to be shorter than I expected, but I plan to use every breath for my Lord.”

She paused to catch her breath, and it was obvious to me that she had pneumonia. I admitted her to the ICU and placed her on a ventilator to help prevent complete respiratory failure.

Through it all, Lillian remained awake but sedated. I stopped by each day to see if she needed anything. She couldn’t speak, but she would clasp her hands together in prayer, so we prayed together. I knew she was silently praising and thanking God.

Today’s verses tell us to make thankfulness our sacrifice. If we call on God when things look bleak, he will rescue us. Lillian was such a great example of that because she truly sacrificed each breath to pray. It was a lot to endure, but she fought bravely—and God rescued her.

About a week into her hospital stay, Lillian turned a corner and started to regain her physical strength. By the time she was ready to go home, she told me, “Without all of the prayers, I never would have made it.” Even in her darkest moments, Lillian was giving the glory to God.

TODAY’S RX

Make thankfulness your sacrifice. Give God all the glory and praise. Then, when you call on him, he will rescue you.

Lord, even when I’m hurting and do not feel very thankful in the moment, help me to have a heart that thanks you and praises you. I may not understand why this hurt has happened, but I know you are in complete control and that you care for me.