The Thanksgiving I Almost Missed

I haven't missed Thanksgiving yet, but I almost did. 

During staff meeting yesterday someone mentioned that Thanksgiving is next week. Next week? I sneaked a peek at my calendar to be sure. Yes. It's in less than a week.

I still have my July 4th door decoration up. Really. 

I'm way behind.

I haven't spent the month of November being grateful. I've spent it watching Sam die, memorializing him, and trying to recover from two years of caregiving. 

There's no list of things for which I'm thankful on my refrigerator. I haven't baked cornbread, much less made the dressing. I don't have a pumpkin, or acorns gathered, or colorful leaves. My pilgrims are still in the storage house. 

It's not much of a start, but I did buy a can of pumpkin recently. Today, I'm officially embracing Thanksgiving, and not because of next week's holiday. I'm embracing thankfulness because it brings healing. 

King David wrote these words, "I am afflicted and in pain...I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the Lord better than an ox...You who seek God, let your heart revive." Psalm 69:29-32 nasb

It's a principle I've decided to embrace. Even though he was having a terrible time, David chose to praise and thank God, knowing that giving thanks in hard times pleases Him. He also knew it would help revive his own heart.

Today, I began a list of things for which I'm grateful (in no particular order):

~ Ryan will home in less than a week

~ Great trip to the Middle East, where God protected and used me

~ Safe trip there and back

~ Sam didn't die until after I got home

~ Recent repair of my old and much-loved tractor

~ Snuggly lap dogs

~ Working from home is one of my options

~ Being a finalist in First Impressions competition was such a nice surprise

~ I have amazing friends

Once I started my thankful list, I felt my own heart revive. Life has changed, but it's still good. God's still on His throne. He'll still see me through. Funny things will happen as I make my way through this transition, and blog posts are sure to follow. 

I didn't realize it until I started giving thanks, but there's so much for which I'm grateful.  

No matter what we've endured or what we face, thanksgiving is still our best option. In the midst of sorrow, trouble, or great loss, there is always something for which we can be grateful. Want to feel better? Spirit need reviving? Give thanks. 

We may not have a choice about the circumstances of our lives, but we have a choice about our response. Let's choose well. Begin with thanksgiving. 

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 nasb

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When Normal Isn't Normal Anymore