Thanksgiving...A year-round sport

I love thanksgiving! It used to be mostly because of the fall colors, the change of weather, football, decorating and cooking. But as I get older (and hopefully wiser) it is the intangible that captivates my heart. I have soo much to be thankful for!!

I was just reading some of my sons lyrics. He has an amazing talent. God has blessed him and will use him to proclaim His glory.

I watched my daughter make a wise decision that was very difficult, and she is still getting grief from her peers for it. But it was a mature decision. She was listening to God and not her peer group! She will lead many to Him.

I think that the things I am most thankful for are delivered to me through things and circumstances that I definitely DON'T want or like. The most precious gifts are gifts that I naturally would reject. But when I don't, when I embrace them and accept them even when they hurt or cost me, I am richly blessed.

For example:


When we first started down the long road of remodeling (years ago now), I remember sitting there sobbing on the floor staring at the ugly insides of our dining room wall. Studs standing naked, wires hanging out everywhere. I was begging God to make my husband hurry up and finish. I was sick of looking at the insides of my wall. How hard is it to slap up drywall, mud it, paint it and get on with life? But my husband, the consummate planner and perfectionist, insisted that we "do it right" which of course, meant replacing bad studs, all new electrical, new insulation, etc. This was NOT what I wanted! Nobody is going to see the inside of the wall! Who cares, just make it look nice!

I distinctly remember God speaking to me (no, not audibly) in the midst of my complaining. He directed my attention to His dwelling place (my heart). I was immediately and keenly aware of how I was prone to slap up a pretty "wall", and not waste time on the inside. I was convicted to the core. He DWELLS on the inside! The integrity of the house is internal, not external.
That naked wall, in this once-a-perfectionist's home, was a gift from God. A tangible reminder to be concerned about the things that matter-the things that God is concerned about. Craftsmanship take time. Not because God is slow, but because growth is a process, that has seasons.

I am thankful for my seasons. My falling down seasons, my empty seasons, my seasons of regret, seasons of victory, seasons of sorrow, seasons of joy, my care-free seasons, my seasons of hard struggling. I am thankful because each season produces.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor.12:9.