Long time no see. :-) As this is one of my favorite times of year I felt it was appropriate to keep my tradition of writing a thankful/reflection post. Not only that but I have exceedingly more to be thankful for this year.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.." -Eph. 3:20
And He has, my friends. He's swooped in and answered prayers. He's blessed me with far more than I can ever truly thank Him for, but beyond that, it is all about this thing called perspective.
Perspective in the sense that you look at things from a different viewpoint. For example, right now at this moment I am in some pretty rough college courses. There are days when I definitely don't feel thankful to be in college at all. But, did you know that there are people out there who can't afford to go to college when they want to? Did you know that some people don't win the scholarship? When looking at my courses from this angle, suddenly I become very grateful. In this new perspective, I see a blessing when I don't feel one. I don't say this because it makes the workload any easier-- spoiler alert: it doesn't-- but I say this because we have a lot to be thankful for, even when we can't see it. After all, some blessings come in disguise. I'm not saying that feeling the acute loss of a loved one or sickness are disguised blessings. Frankly, they aren't. The Bible says, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:16-17) and "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
So this Thanksgiving let's step back and reexamine our lives. Let's gain fresh perspective and marvel at all we do have to be thankful for. Let's also keep in mind that we should be thankful all the time not just in November or on Thanksgiving. Below I've listed a brief "list" of things I'm thankful for this year. I hope you'll do the same in the comments. :-)
I'm thankful for the sunshine. I'm thankful for the stars. I'm thankful for my health and those around me. I'm thankful for music. I'm thankful for the friends I have around me. I'm dearly thankful for my husband-to-be. I'm thankful for my family and (future) family. I'm thankful for the encouragement and support from my parents. Lastly, I'm ever-increasingly thankful for the man who died for me, Jesus. Without Him there isn't a part of me that would be happy.
