November Thirty Days of Thankfulness

Once again this year I undertook the Facebook challenge of finding something to be thankful for everyday in the month of November.  With all that has happened to us, I will be the first to admit that there have been some days that were easier than others to find something to be thankful about.  Some days all I wanted to do was to hide under my covers and not come out.  In spite of my range of emotions, I chose to find something to be thankful for daily!

For me, this exercise in thankfulness has been a huge blessing.  Every day I chose to look at the positive, even when the negative overwhelmed me and threatened to swallow me whole!  I chose to be happy, I chose to be grateful for the live that I have lead, I chose to be thankful for all things that happen; the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I truly think that this has helped me heal after the loss of Samuel in a big way.  I have been looking for reasons to be thankful, and I discovered that I have been abundantly blessed.

The Bible tells us that we should always rejoice, always pray, and always look for a reason to be thankful.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV).  How can one practically rejoice, give thanks, and praise when life is swallowing them alive and feels so horrific it takes every ounce of strength just to breathe?  Easy, focus on blessings.  Focus on the fact that we have hope because of who we are in Christ.  Not sure if you have this hope, you can, all you need to do is admit that you have screwed up ( the Bible calls this sin and let’s face it, we all have) and tell God that you need to be forgiven from these mess ups and need His help to not sin anymore.  Then you start on the greatest journey you have ever known, walking a life with the Creator of the universe, the Creator and Lover of your soul!  Next you look at what you do have in life and you thank God and praise Him for it!

This month has been challenging on many levels.  I am thankful for so very, very much.  I am even thankful for the blessing of being Samuel’s Mama, even if it was for such a short time.  I want to challenge all of us to look for reasons to be thankful throughout December and into the New Year!  After all, if we have Christ, we have enough to be thankful for every second every minute of every day!