For These Things I Am Thankful

For These Things I Am Thankful:

1. I am thankful that I was born into a family who did me much more good than harm. Although there were damaging moments and there was much dysfunction, there were many more good intentions and I don’t believe there were any bad intentions, only accidents and moments of selfishness or inadvertent damage that came from places that had been damaged within my parents and in their parents before them. Overall, my parents and grandparents were good people who loved God, loved their children and grandchildren, wanted to be upright, strong, and raise good upright descendants. I am grateful for this and thank the Lord that I was born into a God-fearing and God-loving family because I know that He blesses those that keep His precepts unto a thousand generations. I certainly feel those blessings in my own life.

2. I am thankful that I was born in this country. We definitely have our problems and they don’t seem to be getting any better (in some respects). On the other hand, we have immense personal freedom and immense personal wealth compared to many other nations. Most of us have access to outstanding medical care. We have luxuries that counterparts in underprivileged countries couldn’t even imagine. Few of us are starving or homeless although I know some of us are. I realize that there are those in this country who are living in poverty and need, but most of those who will click on this entry and read my list will be comfortably sitting in their home and have full bellies or be hungry by choice (dieting). We have television and books, computers and CDs, make-up, showers, carpets and brushes and tooth brushes, nutritious food, lovely clothes, comfortable cars, cozy furniture, sweet smelling air, kitchens full of appliances to make our lives easy. We are a blessed nation and a blessed generation and I am so grateful to be spoiled in my day to day life. I need to remember to stay content with what I have and continually thank the Lord for this life that would seem so full of ease and luxury to so many (including myself had a been peeking in 20 years ago as I struggled with much much less money!)

3. I am thankful for a wonderful husband who is of good character. It is important to him to do the right things and be a right person. On the other hand he knows how to have fun and he has a delightful sense of humor. He is not frown-y or grumpy (usually) and is flexible and accepting. He appreciates me and the work I do in the house. He is accepting and supportive and nurturing of me and my dreams. He generally exerts a soothing influence over me and tempers my anxiety and leaning towards worry and panic. We are a good pair.

4. I am thankful for terrific children who have caused me very little stress and worry throughout my lifetime. Instead that have brought joy, stability, and profound meaning into my life. When I was a single parent, their presence was what kept me out of the bars and on the right path. My life didn’t fall apart but instead progressed on a road to success in my job and personally as I was motivated to strive to be a better, more balanced and successful mother. Nothing in my life gave me more happiness than my daughters during that time. They were more important to me that air and water. I loved to take them to their gymnastics classes and dance classes and simply watch them. I loved to talk with them and go places with them and be a part of everything they did. And then when my son was born it was a whole new experience. I had a chance to spend more time relaxing with him. I didn’t need to be so driven because I had so much help. I was able to just sit back and enjoy him. He is a remarkable being, unlike anyone else I’ve ever known. It is a whole different relationship and I’m basking in that now. I thank God that He has blessed me with such wonderful offspring who continue to give me radiant wondrous moments of bliss.

5. I thank God for a modicum of financial stability. We would be a LOT more stable if we had a better handle on our spending. God has blessed my husband with good employment. Maybe his salary is not as good as it was at the last job but it certainly is a nice salary and absolutely enough to live on comfortably. If we were better stewards over this blessing, I would be able to say it was more than a modicum of stability. But I thank God that He has stood by us even in our ignorance and self-indulgence and has helped to guide us into some better habits. I thank Him that He is continuing to guide us still. I pledge to rise to higher heights of thriftiness in the coming year and use more self-discipline in my spending decisions. I do not need everything I want and I don’t honor God when I indulge in buying frenzies. I thank Him that He is allowing me to see myself more clearly and pricks my conscience when I lapse.

6. I thank God, so much, for the health and body with which He has blessed me, particularly after last year’s surgery. I am delighted with my new body and the weight loss. It has been a life-changing gift. I am happy to look in the mirror. I have so much more energy and can play with my granddaughter now. I go on hikes and climb stairs. I do things I didn’t do before. I am a changed person. I have much more confidence and am immeasurably happier. I continually thank God, day after day, for His mercy and for relieving me of this burden. This was a blessing of an indescribable magnitude… really a miracle!

7. I thank God for calling me to a new church. When I thought there was no other church for me… when I thought finding a church would be a long, sometimes boring, almost unbearable process, He found me a place immediately that felt like home right away! This new place is rounding out my walk and helping me to grow in new ways. He is truly amazing.

8. I thank God for my therapist. Not many people are fortunate enough to have someone in their lives quite like this. Little did I know when I walked into his office so many years ago… what was it? 25 years ago maybe? For family therapy, that this would be the beginning of a very long off and on relationship as I needed it. He started out as our family therapist when my oldest daughter was about 7 (she is now 32). Later I went back to him when I remembered the sexual abuse. I’ve been back on and off as needed since then and he has guided me throughout my whole adult life. And, oh… how far he has brought me… from a messed up woman, cutting her arms, slashing her body with razors, confused, taking drugs, crazy, to someone who was able to find God, raise children well, have a good relationship with a good man and not screw it up (and I almost did screw it up at one time… I remember telling my therapist I was thinking of having an affair and he talked me out if it, wisely). Yes, I thank God for him. I am sure God placed that man in my life. Any damage my family did to me, my therapist has worked to undo and has, in a sense, re-parented me. He has been really more than a therapist. He has become a friend. You can’t know someone that intimately (no, not sex) and not become friends. We get along well and we respect each other. I am a different human being than I was when I first stepped into his office. I was so miserable then but there was so much on the inside that is now free to come out. I thank God for him and I

pray for him because he is not a Christian. He was raised Catholic and now is sort of Buddhist. So I continue to pray that Jesus will touch his heart and life.

9. Most of all I thank God for Jesus and Him crucified for me – for us! What would be the worth of all of the above if we were only going to end up in hell? What would our moments on earth even mean if eternity would be spent in agony? We are all so blessed that Jesus paved the way for us to go to the Father. What a blessing, this grace and immeasurable love He has for us… this love that reaches across a chasm of sin and death to suffer undeservedly for all of our ugliness just because He loves us even in our sin. It’s amazing that He did that and that He loves us so much and even more amazing that because He did that, we appear as spotless before God. So when we see each other in heaven, we will look as clean as the savior! Now THIS in incredible!

So, as Thanksgiving approaches, it is hard to even sit still in my seat. I have things to actually shout about (but they don’t do that much in the Lutheran church LOL – it’s not like my old church in THAT respect!) In my heart, however, I am shouting my thanks to the Lord. I love God and renew my bonds to Him in every way!