We’re coming up on Thanksgiving, which is a great time to stop and think about what we are thankful for. Learning the significance of cultivating the attitude of gratitude is one of the most important lessons I have learned, through seasons of plenty and of want. In fact, did you know that there is a connection between gratitude and mental health?!
Studies and science are increasingly confirming the connection. But it shouldn’t be surprising to us as followers of Jesus. God’s Word commands, encourages and challenges us to be thankful more than once.
"Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His love endures forever."
This has been a challenging year for many, I know it has been for me personally, and yet there are many things I can be grateful for. Here are just 5 things I’m thankful for in this season...
I'm Grateful for Family & Friends
Nothing makes you appreciate something more than when it is taken away. I continue to grieve and miss my Dad, but I am also reminded in my grief of how grateful I am that I was blessed with such a great Dad. The depth of my grief reminds me of the depth of our relationship and the depth of my love for him and him for me - and for that I can be grateful. I'm grateful for our family - my mom, sisters, brother, nieces, nephews, aunt, cousins - and that we have been able to walk this unexpected journey together. I'm grateful for my incredible friends that, although I could not see them in person throughout this spring or summer, they reached out to me, sent texts, letters, cards, gifts, flowers when they learned of my Dad.
I'm Grateful for God's Word
"The Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword..." (
Hebrews 4:12). My heart has always been sensitive to God's Word. Shortly after my Dad passed away I struggled to hear or see God in the ways I normally do - in creation, in music, in His Word. He felt silent to me. But He wasn't absent. As I look back, I see how He was speaking to me through His Word, specifically speaking to me through the words of
Nehemiah 9 during this time. He reminded me that, just as He was present to the Israelites through their years of wandering in the wilderness, today He hears me, He sees me, He leads me by day and by night, He loves me, He never deserts me, He provides for me, He sustains me through all things and I lack nothing.
Father, thank you for your Words to us and for reminding me of your constant presence and unending love through your Word just when I need it most.
I'm Grateful for God's Creation
Watching the sun rise over the fields, looking out over the cows grazing in the pasture, feeling the warmth of the sun or the breeze on my face, listening to the rustling leaves - these are some of my favorite moments. I'm so grateful for this past year living back on our family's dairy farm. And I'm grateful for the hours spent on my bike these past several months, taking in His creation through all the seasons. I often experience God's presence most when I am surrounded by His created beauty.
Jesus, thank you for the beauty of your creation all around us and how your creation praises Your Name!
I'm Grateful for Technology
Yes, I'm grateful for technology! While I will always prefer to be in person, technology like texts and video calls allowed me to stay connected to people in my life amidst a pandemic quarantine and no travel. It allowed me to continue connecting with my co-leader Brian and the 18 Team Leaders we shepherd and coach. It allowed me to connect weekly with women who travelled to Western Asia with me the past 2 summers - studying God's Word together, praying for one another, being in one another's lives as much as possible while we were all in quarantine. It even allowed our family to connect over video when we weren't able to all be together in person.
Father, thank you for the gift of technology and how it can be used for good and for your glory.
I'm Grateful for YOU!
That's right. I'm deeply grateful for you - my many friends and ministry partners, who partner with me through support and/or prayer in ministry. The partnership of others makes it possible for me to invest the best hours of my day in the work God has called me to - whether shepherding and coaching our leaders on the front lines or connecting with staff and students directly. Thank you!
So what are you thankful for this season? I'd love to hear!
Nothing makes you appreciate something more than when it is taken away. I continue to grieve and miss my Dad, but I am also reminded in my grief of how grateful I am that I was blessed with such a great Dad. The depth of my grief reminds me of the depth of our relationship and the depth of my love for him and him for me - and for that I can be grateful. I'm grateful for our family - my mom, sisters, brother, nieces, nephews, aunt, cousins - and that we have been able to walk this unexpected journey together. I'm grateful for my incredible friends that, although I could not see them in person throughout this spring or summer, they reached out to me, sent texts, letters, cards, gifts, flowers when they learned of my Dad.
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