As we all know Thanksgiving is approaching rather quickly and it reminds us to count our blessings. Well with that being said, remember that blessings aren't always just the good things. Sometimes, it can be the bad things too. Most of us go day by day, all year, and never realize how much we take for granted. Well this year is different, I'm thanking God for the good, the bad, the ugly and the unexpected. In the past years as I have gotten older, I try to always focus on the true meaning of Thanksgiving. I remind myself that yes, turkey and stuffing, deviled eggs, pies, rolls, and anything covered in brown sugar, they are not what's important (all though these are the things that we all look forward to). During November Facebook disappoints me at times. I always see Day 1: I am thankful for, and Day 3,4,5: I am thankful for...
Disappointing? Yes, I understand being thankful during November is easy to do because we have the holiday on the brain but we should be thankful all year round.
Think about it this way on any given day of the year: What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?
If that scares you like it did me the first time I was asked that question, then we've got some changing to do.
So today I'm telling you this, I don't take anything for granted. My parents, mom, step dad, and even my father that is no longer with us because of their love, support and guidance and the memories I will forever hold from my father. I'm thankful for my siblings, the ones I've known all my live, as well as the sister I gained through marriage only a few years ago. I'm thankful for my ability to work and go to college because some countries are not blessed with this ability, especially for the female population. For this, I am grateful. I'm thankful for my aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Although we may not all be close and family events may be slimmer than they use to be. However, I'm still thankful for the stories we still have and the push to be even more thankful for being able to spend time with the family I can. The thankfulness I have for my nieces and nephews is hard to put into words, however, they teach me everyday how important it is to have a golden heart and love for everyone. They teach me new things every day and for that I'm thankful for. All of my friends, past, present, and future, they've all shown me different aspects of life that I may have never seen before. I'm thankful for my vehicle that makes transportation simple, the food in my fridge as well as the funds that pay the bills every month. If I listed all the other things I'm thankful for you be here all day reading my article but I think my point has been made. One of my favorite songs ever is "Blessings" by Laura Story and the chorus states "Cause what if Your blessing come through raindrops, what if Your healing comes through tears. What if a thousand sleepless nights is what it takes to know You're near. What if the trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise."
I encourage you to be thankful all year round and remember that Thanksgiving isn't just a thirty day challenge on Facebook. Embrace and be thankful for all the things in life, the good, the bad, the ugly and even the unexpected.
