Deeply Grateful

I grew up in a personal land of plenty. My sisters and I had a mom who tied the sashes on the back of our dresses, took us shopping for new school shoes and handed us a piece of crisp bacon folded in warm buttered toast as we went out the door to school. Our dad was a patriot to the bone. He loved the law and the Lord and always insisted on taking our photo near every American flag we saw when we went on vacation. We ate fresh tomatoes, green beans, corn and strawberries from our garden, and could hop on our horse and go for a ride on a whim. A land of plenty.

When I look back over all the blessings I’ve had in my life, they don’t stop with my childhood, but more and more I’m drawn back to when life seemed simpler, everyone was proud to be an American, truth was truth and evil was evil. These days it’s easy for me to look at all that’s happening in our culture, our country, and the world, and become discouraged. Although I’ll never stop trying to make a difference where I can, the injustices and depravities run so deep that I’ve shifted from being a passionate patriot to a curious observer—wondering why God is allowing all that He is and what He intends to do through it all. But I trust Him. And though my concerns run deep, my gratitude runs deeper.

By God’s grace, I’m coming into this Thanksgiving season grateful for the small, often overlooked blessings in my life as well as the big ones. One morning as I was reading Jeremiah 31:35—He who appoints the sun to shine by day…the Lord Almighty is his name—I glanced up to see a glorious sunrise. Our orange cat was snoozing on my lap, trusting me with her presence. Deeply grateful.

Every Tuesday morning I meet with a group of sage older women for devotions, and I always walk to my car afterwards enriched and encouraged by time spent with these dear ones. Deeply grateful.

Within our ever-growing family two little souls are in their mothers’ wombs preparing for their spring arrival into the world. Great-grands three and four for us. Deeply grateful.

The list goes on and on. Every person in our family. Caring friends. A warm home. Friendly neighbors. Church fellowship.

And at the top of the list, a husband who loves, protects and provides—my traveling companion this past year as we visited both Pearl Harbor and Omaha Beach honoring those whose sacrifices for our freedom are now too often forgotten. Deeply grateful.

Will you join me? Can you set aside your worries about the fate of our country and the world for at least a day and let your gratitude run deeper? Even if, as a popular praise song says, all we have to offer is a hallelujah, we must offer it. Praise God through whom all blessings flow! And have a Happy Thanksgiving.