A Thankful Year

It's that time of year. The leaves have changed, shedding their bright greens for the crisp colors of autumn. The pumpkin and apple-spice scented candles come out. The turkey is thawing. The jello salads are setting, the pies are in the oven, and most importantly everyone is talking about the things they are thankful for this year.

Over the next couple of days I will be blogging a lot about one of the things I am thankful for: Writing. It's a hobby and a passion to me...and also an opportunity to bring in a little bit of money to help support my family. I'm participating in a sale with a large number of other Christian authors and will be sharing all about that as the week progresses, as well as inviting some special guests to visit my blog and talk with us.

But today I want to talk about the other things that I am thankful for.

First, I am thankful for my family. My husband is so patient with me and is always there when I need him...he's even there when I don't think I need him reminding me that I really do. He works so hard to provide for us and loves me in spite of my moods and inadequacies. I am also thankful my little girl. She is a bright ray of sunshine, always reminding me to laugh. Her little face is a constant reminder of God's love for me. I am also thankful that she reminds me of God's grace. When she was born almost a year ago, we had a difficult time of it. She didn't want to come out and greet the world and rather got herself stuck when Mommy said it was time for her to come out. When my surgery was finally over and I got to hold her and look at her little face, I knew that I had been blessed, because there are so many people who have not been able to hold their little ones, whether because they went to be with Jesus so early, or because God has not chosen to send their little one into their lives yet. Evy is a constant reminder that God is good, and that I should be thankful for sleepless nights and teething and tantrums...because there are others who do anything to experience those things.

I'm also thankful for my church. In this day and age, it can be difficult to find a church that you feel comfortable attending: there are so many different types of churches with different beliefs and music standards. Finding the right one can seem impossible at times. But more importantly, it can be hard to find a body of people who love you and who you love in return. It's the nature of our busy world to rush about and not take the time to sit still and get to know people. I am so thankful to have found a church family that challenges me to draw closer to God and holds my hands as I struggle to make that journey.

Thirdly, I am thankful for the unexpected tragedies in my life. I know, a weird one, right? But it's true. Those who know me personally know that my family suffered a very traumatic event this year when my brother and wife had a terrible accident at work. They spent almost two months in the hospital and have been living with my parents since July try to recover not only physically but also emotionally. This has been a trial of my own faith, having to go to the hospital and see them lying there unable to move, in unbelievable pain. To watch them come home and continue to struggle as the fear, anxiety and depression takes its turn with them, trying to keep them from recovering. The reason I am thankful? Because it reminded me to pray. It reminded me to think of others rather than myself and to be grateful that God has blessed me with health when He has asked others to suffer pain. I know I am stronger because of this accident and pray that one day, when my family has climbed out of the valley and back into the sun, that they will be stronger as well.

This brings me to my final point today, that I am thankful for God's faithfulness in difficult times. When things are going well and everything is perfect, we often forget how much we need the Lord, how vital of a role He plays in orchestrating the moments of our days. Facing the darkness of our valleys gives us a greater appreciation for the sunshine on the other side.

What are you thankful for this year? I hope that God has blessed and challenged each of you as He has blessed and challenged me. I would love to hear your stories.

Blessings to you all and Happy Thanksgiving!