Thanksgiving Ode

There is always something to be thankful for.

I have realized in my thirty-some years being alive, from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, there is always something to be thankful for.

I remember when I was in one of my lowest of low places, friendships were few, being a newly-wed was less than the bliss I expected it to be, personal struggles with depression were at hand, and yet I was met by familiar face in the swarming crowd before me. A friendship that was once lost, now had been found. A delivery of my heart-felt prayer.

Yes, I am thankful for the depth of true friendships.

I know what “it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty,” as Paul states in Philippians 4:12. From my newlywed years with my husband of strict and orderly budgeting, relying on Gods peace to get us through another month, to later years of enjoying financial securities due to careful budgeting, enabling us to bless others abundantly by Gods extra provisions.

I am thankful for my daily bread in every season.

I remember struggling as a new mom of twins, the depleting exhaustion of it all, yet my friends and family enveloped me in my weakness. My father and mother who came to my rescue in times of battling chronic sickness, birth-related surgeries, and extreme fatigue. Helping keep the house clean. Powdering baby bums. Fixing food for fuel. Extending a listening ear.

I am thankful for family and family-like friends.

These sweet little cherubim faces bring out the best and the worst in me. My passion for being a God-centered mom for them is a struggle worth fighting for. To bring them up with an understanding of love, grace, and forgiveness. To show them what it means to work hard, enjoy their passions, and embrace the life they’ve been given. To helping them see the ways God demonstrates His ever present love to us each day—through a tender hug from a friend or enjoying the stillness of His presence in a soft breeze—His captivating love is all around us.

I am thankful for my three sweet-hearted children who call me mommy.

A beautiful masterpiece envelops me here; sounds of waves crashing, feel of sand wiggling beneath my toes, taste of salty seas to my lips. The suns embrace warms my face even with the biting cold of the strong November breeze. I look up and suddenly a crimson butterfly floats past my view playing in the swirling tumbles of air whipping past my face. A warmth envelops me, I soak in the wooing love of the Creator as he gently engulfs my heart.

I am thankful for His mighty and everlasting love.

There is always something to be thankful for. Perhaps this is a season where giving thanks is hard to give, or perhaps this season is a time to celebrate the abundance of thanks pouring out of you. Yet I bet… in every season… we can always find something to be thankful for.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1