I'm getting really excited. Thanksgiving ushers in my favorite time of year- it's full of food, family, Christmas music, football, Black Friday planning, and more food. It is the opening of the whole Christmas season, complete with most of my favorite things. Thanksgiving, in my opinion, is the best holiday, because of what follows. I'm one of those people that have all trees in place to celebrate Thanksgiving- it's a mood all in itself.
But Thanksgiving really isn't about all those things. It's not about turkey and pumpkin pie. It's not even about family. While those things bring plenty of gratefulness from my heart, they aren't the basis for the holiday. Thanksgiving is about being thankful- a season of reflection, appreciation and gratitude to the One who has blessed us with each gift we've been given. And often, if I'm being completely honest, I celebrate the season and get caught up in tradition, rather than the Giver of good things.
Forgetting to really show thankfulness isn't a new problem, although it seems to be getting more rampant as years pass by. This brings to mind the story of the ten lepers Jesus healed in Luke 17. Ten healed, yet only one came to thank Jesus for healing him. Nine of them walked away celebrating their healing without thanking, or even caring to know their Healer. But one did. Man, I want to be like that one leper. I don't want my life to be like the nine that knew no real sense of gratitude. Their life had been doomed, and with their healing, their life sentence removed. You think to yourself, how rude and ungrateful- yet often I am sadly no better.
The season is upon us as Thanksgiving draws closer, yet we don't need a special day to live a life of gratitude. We are so blessed no matter what our situation is. God has given us life, yes, but if we know Him as Savior, He has given us the hope of what really matters. Life won't always be easy- in fact, most often it isn't. If you're like me, you've had your share of heartache and hard times, but it's so great thing to remember it's all temporary. If we could truly get a glimpse of our eternal home, our life would be completely transformed. We wouldn't be so focused on staying here. We wouldn't be so earthly minded. We have just a short span of living in a world tainted with hurt and brokenness. The best is yet to come for those of us who belong to Him. This helps us to better live in a spirit of thankfulness despite our circumstances.
Our God is a good God, but our God also loves to hear our words of thanksgiving. When we give good things to others, we expect to hear words of thanks- if we don't, we are hurt, disappointed and feel taken for granted. Why do we treat God differently, forgetting to thank Him for our many blessings and for what He has done for us? At this time of Thanksgiving, I want to encourage and challenge each of you to speak words of gratitude. Tell your family words of thanks. Tell your spouse how much you appreciate them. Tell your friends how grateful you are for them. But don't forget the Giver of all these blessings, and how much we owe Him. Because in the multitude of a debt I can never re-pay, I can say "thank You."
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1 ESV
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. Psalm 7:17 ESV
Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 5:20 ESV
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, ... Psalm 50:14a ESV
Dear Heavenly Father, there is so much we should thank You for- for Your life, Your great sacrifice on the cross, for providing a way of salvation. Lord, we are thankful for Your love, for Your physical provisions for us. And Father, for the blessing of loved ones and family, we thank You. Help us to live a lifestyle of gratitude- that we would show it always and not just in this season of Thanksgiving. In Your name we pray, Lord Jesus, Amen!
I'm sitting here this morning, a little sunburnt, and with a grateful heart, thinking of the holiday weekend spent with family. While I didn't feel well this past weekend (thanks to some mysterious orange pollen coating everything outside our home), I was so happy to be with the people I love the most. I promised to update occasionally on where we are, and how we are doing. It's been a couple months, so I wanted to post a little about what's going on with us. It's funny how we've been married almost 26 years next month, but this year has felt like a new beginning. One of the good things that came out of our marriage breaking, was the opportunity for a fresh start- correcting the things we had allowed to grow old and routine.
One of the biggest changes for us, is time spent together as a couple. Although we spent time together as a couple before, it had grown more into the process of elimination for it being just the two of us. With children that are young adults, it seems they often have their own plans, and it would end up just being the two of us for dinner or an evening out, by default. But how much better it is to make time for one another, regardless of what the kids are up to- choosing to spend an evening out together means a lot more than doing it because no one else was available. I will always be an encourager of this for any of my married friends, acquaintances, or readers. Please make the time to enjoy the company of your spouse. By doing this, you're investing in your marriage and the expense will be worth it.
We still continue to go to counseling every couple weeks. The sessions are a great time to work through any thoughts or feelings we may have, as well as learning new tools to work through issues that may arise. We recently faced a business trip back to the area of the affair, and I expected Satan to whisper words of doubt in my ear and heart as we were apart. But what I didn't expect, was a louder Voice that quieted my spirit, and my newfound faith in my husband to feel secure while he was away. This is the result of the work we are doing in rebuilding our relationship on a solid foundation- Jesus Christ. It is also the result of being able to openly share our thoughts without feeling unsure of how they will be received. I want to encourage you all to keep the doors of communication open in all areas of your marriage. Share what you think, and learn the art of careful listening to the thoughts of your partner- not to use the time they are talking to craft your own words or comeback!
Our life at home with our family is falling back into a pattern of normalcy. The awkwardness that once lived here is gone. While there is always room for improvement, we have spent time enjoying our kids and praying for them specifically each night together. We continue our morning and evening devotions and prayer, and I can't think of a more intimate way to share life and our marriage. In order for us to grow together, we need to keep growing individually. In what ways can you invest in personal growth, that will benefit your relationship or marriage? I need to have some good personal attributes to bring to the table, and I need to remove relationship killers like pride, selfishness, greed, a critical spirit, and other toxic behaviors.
Each day, I feel so thankful for a marriage being restored by God. It humbles me greatly to understand how much He values marriage- specifically my own. While my husband's affair used to take up a lot of residence in my brain, it is being removed a little more each day. His love and care for me, along with with the help of my Heavenly Father, is tearing away the barriers of distrust and fear. I'm not naive anymore to think we won't face further assaults from Satan, but I am relishing this new "us" that makes me feel hopeful, grateful, and a little mushy all over again. Keep praying for us, friends, that God will use our story in ways we never imagined, and that our hearts always feel as warm for one another, as they do today!
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 ESV
But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 ESV
And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. Job 8:7 ESV
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for the gifts You give me each day. I pray I'll never lose sight of the blessings I've received by Your hand. Help us to reach others that are hurt by broken marriages, and introduce them to the hope and healing You offer. Continue to strengthen us in our marriage, and others who are rebuilding theirs. Comfort those who weren't given the opportunity for restoration, and guide and help them in their own journeys. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!
