“What are you thankful for?” It seems like it’s most asked question around Thanksgiving. Teachers ask students this in almost every class, and it is commonly asked around the dinner table on the holiday itself. I pondered this for a while, and thought about what I actually am thankful for. I think too often when answering this question, we just say something to say something.

When I really think about it, 2016 was a year that has shaken me up a little bit. Much has happened, and for some reason the world seems to be getting worse and worse. There were terrorist attacks in Paris, the 2016 election was a lot to handle, and there seems to be no way of solving the racial problems in the United States. Along with all this, we still have to deal with our own problems. So tell me, what is there to be thankful for? Well, when I sat back and thought about it, I realized four things really stood out to me.

1. Friends

This may seem cliche, but it is true nonetheless. Whether they are friends from home, or friends that I made at college, I really appreciate them. They understand me like no one else. We laugh, we cry, and we talk about life (and how hard it is) together. More than that, we celebrate our victories and pray together. We also have fun together. It’s also great to be supported on decisions and during the hard times. So if you are one of them, I’m thankful for ya!

2. Family

I don’t think I ever appreciated my family as much as I do now that I am not with them everyday. I am learning to live on my own at college, and sometimes it is tough. I appreciate my parents and the time that they put into raising me, whether it was talks in the car about life or them just being there to help me fix a mistake. That’s kind of gone now, but it’s alright, I am thankful for the time that I did get. I find that I am also thankful for my mother’s cooking (very thankful).

3. Where I’m at right now.

If someone told me months ago that I’d be where I am, I probably would not have believed them. It was difficult for me to choose a school, but now I’m here. Now that I’m here, I find it so easy to complain about the bad things push the good off to the side. It’s so easy to talk the cafeteria food, my lack of sleep, being homesick, and assignments that I do not want to do. There are times when it is easier to look at the bad than the good and just complain, leaving life pretty dismal.

However, when I think about it, I chose to be here. I may not be happy all time, but there are some goods things happening in my life. I guess, in this sense, being thankful has a lot to do with being content with what I’ve been given and where I’m at.

4. That He’s got the whole in his hands.

For me, it is comforting to know that my God is in control of everything, and it is something that I am very thankful for. He knows what my future entails. He knows where I’ll end up after college. He knows what career path I will take. He knows what is going to happen even when I don’t. Moreover, He knows the future of the nation and of the world, because He has it in his hands. This is something that may be said and over and over again, but I find it extremely comforting and I am thankful for it. Not knowing is something that eats me up sometimes, but as long as it’s in God hands, it’ll be alright.

So, this is what I’m thankful for this year. Can you relate? What are you thankful for this year? Comment on Facebook or below, I would love to hear your thoughts.