Thanksgiving is so much more than just the delicious food, the football games, and making sure you don't miss the parade, the National Dog Show following the parade, or A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a time to pause and remember all the things we are thankful for in our lives and to thank God for them with sincere, warm hearts. It's called Thanksgiving for a reason, and as Marcie, Peppermint Patty's best friend said in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: "Thanksgiving is more than eating. The pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by Thanksgiving." The Peanuts gang definitely had great wisdom!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever! 1 Chronicles 16:34
The first thing I'm thankful to God for this Thanksgiving is my incredible boyfriend! My boyfriend and I first met in Summer 2013 when we were in college and in 2014, our relationship began to develop. We have had a happy relationship since then and our relationship grows stronger every day, and it's thanks to God!
When I was in high school, I wanted a boyfriend so badly and was always jealous of girls who had boyfriends. I had no problem asking boys in my class to dance with me at school dances and never hesitated to dance with boys who asked, but I was always afraid to ask boys out or to school dances because I had a fear of rejection. Little did I know that God had plans for me, and would give me the man of my dreams when the time was right.
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
I'm thankful that God, in his timing, blessed me with a great man who taught me so much about Jesus Christ and why accepting Jesus into our hearts and into our lives as our Lord and Savior is so important and I admire how greatly he cares about Christ and God's Word. When I spend time with him, I always feel so content and happy, and it's because we put our trust in God that we get stronger every day.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Another thing I'm thankful to God for is my career. I work in a Senior Living home as an Activities Assistant, where I not only do fun activities with the residents, but help them when needed. At first I wanted a career that involved working with animals, but after starting my previous job at another Senior Living home and developing a bond with the residents there, I discovered my passion for working with the elderly and lending a hand when they need it the most.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it's in your power to help them. Proverbs 3:27
Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:4
Working with residents on Assisted Living and Memory Care has increased my motivation to give the residents at my current job a good life and good care at the best of my abilities and has allowed me to care dearly about Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. Especially since my paternal grandfather had severe Alzheimer's before he passed away in 2010 when I was in high school. And I'm thankful that it was both God and my grandfather that made me the Senior Living worker I am today!
The next thing I'm thankful to God for is the church that I go to. In the summer last year, my boyfriend took me to one of the services, and in that moment my eyes opened as I learned about Jesus Christ and why the Word of God is so important. I since made the decision to accept Jesus into my life and my heart as my Lord and Savior and have been determined to live a Christ-centered life and make sure I attend services every week.
I'm thankful for my church's team of pastors who preach God's word with high quality and take what they do very seriously and for the amazing opportunities that the church provides. I've had the opportunity to take part in church groups, Bible studies, Vacation Bible School, Christmas Choir, festival events, and charities. I love taking part in my church's many groups and events because I learned that doing so is a great way to serve and honor God. I couldn't be happier to have such an awesome church family!
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being being saved. Acts 2:42-47
The next thing I'm thankful to God for is my family. I have two amazing and loving parents, a great brother and sister, fabulous aunts, uncles and cousins, and wise grandparents on both sides. They've had my back through thick and thin, we always have fun memories, and I'm so happy that they respect and support my decision to follow Christ. Family, especially the one I have, is one of God's greatest blessings.
I'm thankful for the simplest things in life, such as good health, a roof over my head, access to food and health care when needed, a good career, and running water. In this world, there are so many people in this world who are less fortunate than I; people who are homeless and in severe poverty and have very little to no access to the things needed to get through such as food, clean water, shelter and health care. It is for these reasons that we should not be complaining about our lives when many others have it much, much worse. We are to be thankful for even the simplest of things and pray for the less fortunate.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
Of all the things I'm thankful to God for this Thanksgiving, I'm very thankful for God the Father himself, and for Jesus Christ, His Son and our Lord and Savior. God created a beautiful universe and his greatest gift to us is Jesus, who opened the eyes of the people through this ministries and teachings, performed many miraculous signs and healings, and died on the cross to save us from our sins and give us new life with God.
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Because I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and because I strive to prove how devoted to Christ I am every day, God has transformed me in so many ways and I have a better sense of life than I ever had. But out of everything I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful to be alive.
On June 22, 2018, just two weeks after my birthday, I got into a car accident on my way to work after failing to see the stop light. It was one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever had. My head and my chest hurt from the impact of the airbag, my hips hurt from the seat-belt cutting them, I had multiple bruising, I was sobbing hysterically because I was so scared, and at one point, I had chest pain and an excruciating headache which caused me to black out and not be able to see. During that headache and blackout, I was sobbing and begging the EMT's not to let me die because I'm not ready and I still have work to do for God. After a minute or two, my vision cleared and my headache was gone because I was outside in fresh air. When they loaded me in the ambulance, I thanked the Lord for his protection and for sparing my life.
Despite the physical and emotional pain I was in after the accident, God had my back because I trusted him to get me through. I still am afraid of intersections, driving in certain parts, and the possibility of getting into an accident and not surviving (One of my classmates died in Winter 2013 after a collision with a drunk driver) but God always proves how much bigger he is than my fears and my memories of the accident and I'm absolutely thankful to God that I wasn't seriously injured and that I'm still alive.
For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your light-giving light. Psalm 56:13
This Thanksgiving, in the midst of distractions, I encourage all of you to slow down, stop, and reflect on God's blessing to you in your life and thank Him for them! Because that's exactly what Thanksgiving is all about. Give thanks to the Lord for all His blessings in your life and pray for those who are less fortunate in this world. When the food is ready and comes out, give thanks to God for your bountiful harvest. When surrounded with family for Thanksgiving, or even friends for "Friendsgiving," give thanks to the Lord for such great people to celebrate with. And don't just be thankful to God once a year in November, be thankful to him every day, every month, all year long!
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100
