Today I’m cooking! Rarely am I even this far ahead of the game, but I’m determined to get most of our Thanksgiving meal prepared today so I can actually enjoy tomorrow. I realize some of you have had your casseroles and pies prepared and in the freezer for days, but I’m just not that good! (I do have a pie in the freezer, but it’s in a box.)
At any rate, since I’m kind of busy in the kitchen today, I won’t be putting a lot of thought into a blog post with great theological weight. I’m not that good of a multi-tasker! But I do want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and share a few of the things I am most thankful for this year.
I’m oh so thankful for my Lord, who I love more and more every day. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m getting older or if I’m finally catching on to just how great He is, but I truly feel more in love with Jesus today than ever. He is the lover of my soul, my knight in shining armor, and the keeper of my secrets. I’m crazy about Him and thankful that I know Him like I do.
Beyond that I am simply thankful for all the ways He has blessed me. Like James 1:17 says, I believe every good and perfect gift I have came directly from Him.
He has graciously provided me with loving people, both family and friends, who have been there for me, encouraged me, provided support, and simply made life a blast. He has always taken care of me and my own financially, even when it seemed impossible. And He has blessed us all with such good health that I sometimes feel guilty about how healthy we are.
But not only that, my God has absolutely blessed me with joy and laughter and adventure and growth and purpose. I have witnessed Him at work in my life and I have never doubted that He had good in store for me. He has heard my prayers and answered them. He has spoken to my heart when I desperately needed a Word from Him. And He has never given up on me. He has been so good.
And here’s the thing. I don’t just think God mindlessly gave me all these blessings either. I don't think He just has a shelf marked "Standard Fare" and He's taken a package deal and tossed it at me. Nor do I think I've just been lucky, won some sort of heavenly lottery.
No, I believe God loves me so much that He has handpicked each gift that He has lovingly placed in my life. He has put more thought into what He's given to me than I ever put into the gifts I buy for my husband, children, or friends. He is the king of gift giving.
I believe God thinks about me, delights in the thought of doing something just for me, chooses carefully what would benefit me most, considers the timing and selects the perfect moment, and then graces me with that well chosen gift with all the love and tenderness of a Father, a Friend, and a Lover all rolled into one.
I know you have as many blessings to be thankful for as I do, and I’m sure you’ll name them one by one sometime during this Thanksgiving season. But I encourage you to go beyond just being grateful. I’m urging you to really think about the love behind each of those gifts. They come from a God who is crazy about you. He chosen carefully and given each gift with more love than you can imagine.
Happy Thanksgiving! I’m very thankful for you, too, by the way!