When I logged into Facebook this morning I wasn’t too shocked to find that all of the status updates posted relate to Thanksgiving. Some of them were about food, some where about shopping, a few simple “Happy Thanksgiving’s”, and quite a few lists of things people were thankful for. I love having a day set aside for people to be thankful. It’s so easy to get caught up in life that it can sometimes be difficult to appreciate everything that you have.
We, along with everyone else, have an infinite list of things to be thankful for. This year, one thing I’ve really gotten the opportunity to focus on is relationships. In August, my Great Grandmother (Zachary’s Great Great Grandmother) passed away at the age of 95. Around the same time we found out that my Grandpa’s cancer had returned… and spread. My Grandpa is the true rock of our family. He is the most incredible example of a life lived in Christ that I can possibly imagine here on earth. We have been harshly reminded of how precious the gift of life is and how short our time on earth can be. Relationships are valuable.
So, because of this, I want to take a moment, not to list the things I am thankful for, but to truly give thanks.
For my husband: Thank you for letting me sleep in this morning. Thank you for being such a wonderful Father to our son. Thank you for putting up with me, even during the weeks where I average 1 hour of sleep per night. Thank you for working hard and for making good decisions for our family. I am so proud of you!
For my Zachary: Simply thank you for you. You are such a joy to our lives. I wish I could put into words what you mean to us.
For my parents: Thank you for giving me a foundation in Christ. For sacrificing your wants, needs, and desires to give me a full life. For allowing me to make mistakes and allowing me to learn my own lessons. Thank you for teaching me the importance of working for what I want and the ability to stand on my own. Thank you for loving my husband, for loving my son, and for loving me.
For my grandparents (Ray and Dolly): You have been the perfect image of a Christ centered marriage that will carry through our family for many generations. You will never know the impact of your love for us, your love for each other, and your love for Christ. Thank you. Thank you for taking interest in our lives. Thank you Grandma Dolly for worrying, for it shows how far your love goes.
For my in-laws (Mark, Tina, Jon, Leah, and Andrew): It’s true what they say, when you marry someone, you marry their family. I hit the Jackpot when I married you guys! Thank you for welcoming me into your lives and supporting Nathaniel, Zachary, and I so immensely.
For my brothers: Thank you both for looking out for me. Thank you for the many memories we have made growing up together and for still being such a huge part of my life. Thank you for choosing “significant others” who love Jesus and are extending the family values we were raised with.
For all of my friends and family: Thank you for your support. In each chapter of our lives we learn more and more about how much love we are blessed with. Your prayers for our son, interest in his health, and concern for us is truly something we thank God for every day. Thank you for the relationships we have with you, we appreciate you so very much.
For my Savior: Thank you for my husband, for my Zachary, for my parents, for my grandparents, for my in-laws, for my brothers, and for my friends and family. Thank you for your love and complete control over our lives. Thank you for 7 straight days of Zachary being pain free and 3 straight nights of Zachary sleeping through the night.
Life is short. The list of things to be thankful for really is infinite. The giving of thanks is important. The realization of your blessings is crucial.
”Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” Colossians 4:2
Happy Thanksgiving.
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