Thankful

Like the Pilgrims in the beginning, and so many other families this season, we gathered together to give thanks to God for the bountiful harvests in our life. Most harvests in this modern day are not those of planted seed crops and successful hunts, but I think this year maybe ours was in a way. We thanked God for the health and recovery of my nephew Christopher, who had just a week before been in a terrible auto accident. The news of his injuries brought many who knew him, or were asked to pray by a friend or relative, to their knees planting seeds of hope and healing through faith. On Thanksgiving Day, just one week after the accident, we gave thanks for a harvest of answered prayer evidenced by Christopher’s being able to sit up, speak, eat, walk and talk. He is on the road to a full recovery; I know, because those are the seeds of faith that we planted.

Additionally, we gave thanks for a successful “hunt”. You see, my sister Cher asked one of her friends who is a genealogist to find our twin sisters that we had not seen since 1969. The circumstance of their not being a part of our life was sketchy, even more so the place they might have grown up and the people who might have raised them, still Cher and her wonderful friend Rye began a hunt that would end successfully after two years on October 10, 2008. Our sisters were found. We emailed and sent pictures at first until November 1, 2008 which was my birthday. Talking to my now grown sisters who once were my “doll babies” was one of the best birthday presents I could have ever wished for.

And on Thanksgiving, we all gathered together at our littlest sister, Bobbie’s, home for the best Thanksgiving ever; 7 sisters, 6 husbands (one had to work and we missed him sorely), 12 nephews, 10 nieces, 1 future daughter-in-law, 1 future son-in-law, 1 grand-daughter/niece, and one father- in –law; 39 of us together to give thanks. God is indeed good.
We gave thanks for our bountiful harvests of love and hope and triumph over trials, for the health and well being of our families and friends, for bringing us all together again. We thanked God for another year together and for many years to come as He wills. We thanked God for traveling mercies as some traveled from far away and before we left we prayed for peace and strength and God’s protection as we went our separate ways.

We had much to be thankful for this year; these were just the “big two”. God is so good to us all in so many ways. While bad things happen that we don’t understand and can’t explain, it helps to know that (Rom 8:28) “in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (All of Romans, chapter 8, addresses these times really, and knowing God’s word ALWAYS helps.) It helps to know that while we don’t understand or like what is going on sometimes, God is still God and will love us through whatever we are going through and will love us however we feel about it.

I’m so thankful that His love for me is not dependant on how good or bad I am. The day I learned that was a day of freedom for me and one I am ever thankful for. There is so much that I'm thankful for, in fact, I strive towards "thanks-living"; living everyday thankful for the big little things that get overlooked. I'm thankful, and i tell God so, for sight, and for the ability to taste and feel and hear. I'm thankful for running water and inside plumbing. I'm thankful that i have a washer and dryer and don't have to lug my clothes to the laundry mat or wash them in the tub because i have done both and each is a lot of work. I'm also thankful for work; work for my hands and my mind, work for my children so they will grow up thankful and work for my husband that pays well enough for me to stay home and care for the children. I'm thankful for my children and husband and sisters and brothers and nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles and cousins and my dad and step-mom and the time i had with my mom before she passed. I'm so thankful for my friends, homeschooling community, church family and online friends. It amazes me how the technology of today makes us so much closer and I'm thankful for all the good ways that we can find to use this technology. I'm thankful for America and the freedoms and rights that i have always been blessed to know; like the right to pursue happiness, not the right to happiness, but the right to pursue happiness and the certainty that i am not just a pawn in some cosmic chess game, but my opinions and actions count. That is something to be thankful for to be sure.
Yes- I was thankful on Thursday, November 27, 2008 and I'm thankful today and i will be thankful tomorrow. While i know bad things can and will happen in this life, i rest in God knowing that while i don't like or understand everything that happens in this life, He has a plan. Romans chapter 8 tells me so. Specifically, Romans 8:28 says " We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose."

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day and i hope even more that you have a great "thanks-living" day today.

Peace-