Happy Thanksgiving, to all my readers!
I hope your day is filled with friends, family, and good food. If you are alone, I hope that you are filled with peace and relaxation – and good food.
We watched a short video at church last Sunday (yes, we go to one of those churches) about thankfulness. It reminded us that no matter what our circumstances, we can always be thankful that we have a God who is with us through everything. 2008 was a hard year for many people, but ours is a God that stands with us through hard times, as well as good. That is our true blessing.
I know I needed that reminder. It is so easy to focus on all of the things that I have struggled with over the past year. This year was hard for me and that is not even taking into account the tightening economy and uncertainty about the future. But I can be thankful that my struggles have brought me so much closer to the Lord and I finally have peace, even though my circumstances have not changed.
I am not trying to be trite. I know that it can be annoying to hear, in the midst of a really hard time, that it will bring you closer to God, expecially if you are not feeling it at that moment. Sometimes, that is the last thing I want to hear. Sometimes, I get caught up in the self-pity and anger about life.
That is where I was for a lot of the summer and into fall, even. But God brought me back into His loving arms. The Lord is my strength is not just a logo on Christian goods. I was not getting through the day when I was trying to do it on my own.
I am not sure how this went from a “Happy Thanksgiving” post to a testimonial. It just sort of flowed out of me.
I just want you all to know, if you don’t already, that He is there for you. He knows your hurts. He is waiting for you to call out to Him.
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I will get to see our extended family, who we do not see nearly enough. I am thankful for the nice car we have to drive there that my father-in-law so graciously gave to us. I am thankful that I get to share my baking with a wider audience (I love to bake for people). But more than anything, I am thankful that I know God, after so many years of not knowing Him. I am thankful that we have a God who welcomes us back, again and again, meets us where we are at, and offers us his love and his grace.
