Thankful

We’ve been rummaging through our attic, as we’re getting ready for our anniversary and vow renewal celebration and I am finding all kinds of nostalgic things from many years ago, birth announcements, pictures when we were just kids, love letters from my husband… Can you think of a time when you were overcome with gratefulness?

For me, I remember our third anniversary getting ready to go out to dinner to celebrate. I was making chocolate chip cookies when my water broke. We ended up laboring in the hospital all night to give birth to our first daughter, and after the wrestling and pains of labor, I experienced that overwhelming feeling of gratitude, the tears of joy, looking at her little fingers and toes, this child that our love had created! I can also recall the two times in the courtroom with family and friends when we got our adopted daughters. Our girls finally got our name and became fully part of our family!! We were overcome with gratitude!!

During this beautiful season of thankfulness, reflect on the blessings in your life…the little “I love yous”, the breath in our lungs, laughter, living in a free country where we can worship without persecution. God’s Word tells us that’s actually how we come into His presence, we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. It’s the key to get in to that holy place. “Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95:2).

We’re told to give thanks in all things, that doesn’t mean we have to give thanks for all things, but something happens in our heart as we’re thankful even in the midst of trials. It helps us keep our eyes on the bigger picture. Be reminded in this beautiful season that you are loved with an everlasting love. God says He longs to be gracious to you. He waits on high to have compassion on you, that He exalts over you with joy, quiets you with His love and rejoices over you with singing, you are the apple of His eye, chosen, called, rescued, set apart! He will never ever leave you or abandon you. That is a reason to be thankful! I dare you to try it, anywhere and everywhere let praise continually be on your lips. Stir up a thankful heart!

Have a beautiful, blessed Thanksgiving!!!

Michelle