Hello to all! Yes, I am still on this planet and I haven’t been quite buried beneath all the snow here. Today the sun shines warmly, finally giving us respite from the colder temperatures we had this past week. Melting snow drips off the roof and customers track mud into the store. I am thankful for this lovely sneak peek into spring!
Back in November, while Americans enjoyed their Thanksgiving holidays, I participated in a thanksgiving challenge. For a month, as a group of ladies spread across Canada, the US, Mexico, and Belize, we shared seven things daily for which we were thankful. This exercise changed my outlook on life. I appreciated the accountability the group created. Reading others’ lists every day encouraged me many times. As many of us didn’t know each other, we saw glimpses into each other’s characters and lives through the things that were shared. I made new connections with dear sisters in Christ and hope to meet some of them sometime.
Most of all, this challenge made me realize how blessed I am. As a believer in Christ, there is nothing in which I cannot be thankful. Because of God, I can find something good in every circumstance. When I faced rough days, I still scraped up seven ‘thankfulnesses’. (That is my newly-invented word.) Yes, sometimes I found it harder than other times, but when I focused on the positive aspects around me instead of the negatives, all of life grew brighter. It became easier to praise God as I consciously thanked Him for blessings every day. As the month drew to a close and our challenge ended, I determined to make thanksgiving a part of my life, not something I only remembered when eating turkey and mashed potatoes. Therefore, I am writing this in February. I do not ask you to excuse me on that point, because I firmly believe we ought to focus on thanksgiving every month of the year.
My sister discovered a journal designed specifically to record the good things in life. Delighted, I grabbed one for myself and waited to begin it in 2022. I’ve used my grateful journal for nearly two months now. It helps me keep on track with my goal of grateful living and serves as a sort of diary. This time, it has only three lines to fill out every day. I like to reflect on my day and mark down three blessings before I crawl into bed. These blessings are not only limited to things like my snow boots, but also include people, experiences, and deeper spiritual blessings.
Come join me and take a look at some blessings I’ve recorded in the past two months. Enjoy the photos this time!
First of all, as a side-note, I am thankful for the courage God gives. Last week, I had nearly finished this post and thought I had saved it. But when I checked back, all my hour's work of changes had disappeared. Not being very techy, I scoured through the Help Section and finally found a way to restore my changes. But for some reason, the computer wouldn't cooperate. I prayed about it and comforted myself with the fact that every writer probably experiences a loss at least once in a lifetime. Though I didn't find a simple fix, I think I rewrote all the necessary parts again. And I was thankful this wasn't a big loss for me. It wasn't my whole computer that crashed, only some time wasted. So here it is now! =)
At least twelve of my thankfulnesses refer to winter and snow. I unintentionally mentioned snowstorms and blizzards numerous times. I’ve lost count of how many we’ve had in the past two months. We love talking about the extraordinary amounts of snow to everyone. Along the roads that are cleared, snow is piled up higher than our minivan. Snowdrifts continue to sweep themselves higher and higher, up to fifteen feet deep or more. I’m not only thankful for the snow, but also for the moisture stored in those flakes that will hopefully help us through spring. Fields and gardens have been stressed enough with extreme drought the last some years. Or maybe it was the farmers and gardeners that suffered more…
See, one can complain about getting stuck, constant shoveling, cancelled events and missed school days, the bitter cold, or the monochrome scenery. But one can also marvel at the beauty, delight in the adventure, and cheer as snowfall records are broken. It depends on the perspective.
For two weeks, my grateful journal heard especially about Bible School. After having clambered to my top bunk for the night (a feat which I eventually mastered with gracefulness), I’d pull out my notebook and jot down my list for the day. It was difficult to stop at three things. I had so many good experiences that I couldn’t nearly cover them all. Each of the things in the list above hints at a long story that could be told. And those are only a few of my thankfulnesses during my time there.
How I praised God for the way He worked, first in making AOH Bible School happen and then also for the lessons He taught me there! The studies took me deeper into His truth as our teachers guided us into various passages and topics. Living under the constant teaching of God’s Word and mingling with dedicated believers day after day shaped and changed me in many ways. In this greenhouse environment, I flourished. Even though homework stretched me, I thanked Him for the challenge and for His help. Even though God exposed many ugly spots in me, I thanked Him for His Spirit and truth.
I thanked God for friendships among students and staff–the new and the old, the silly and the serious, because I needed them all. We began as 32 individuals from three different provinces. We eyed each other with suspicion for only a few moments before we all melted together as a happy family unit. We became brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, students and mentors for each other.
My prayer group blessed me tremendously as we shared, prayed and witnessed God’s power. I still thank God for them. I thanked God for my dormies. We learned cooperation and teamwork very quickly in our cramped quarters. I was thankful for them even though I’d wake up at two o’clock from someone’s phone jangling, a cough, or someone mumbling. I thanked God for my classmates with their insights and their willingness to share and discuss things. In class, in the lounge, or at the supper table, we explored God’s Word together. Perhaps our discussions strayed from the specific purpose of our homework, but we still learned from each other!
Even though injuries occurred and flu bugs took their rounds, I thanked God for His protection. I was thankful for my voice (or whatever was left of it) even though it was usually reduced to a high-pitched squeaky toy after our choir sessions. My apologies to whoever attempted to hold a conversation with me during mealtimes right afterwards. I thanked God for the bitter, burning medicines like Throat & Tonsil that we guzzled down. They made a difference! I thanked God for the miracles of healing we witnessed and for how smoothly our program went despite our physical conditions.
“Our Loving Shepherd”
I thanked Him for hangers to hang up wrinkled clothes, for snacks to munch between Blitz games, for laughter, competitions, and everything else needed to relieve stress. I thanked Him for His guidance when I had to write another essay, for His blessings on our skit that took hours of preparation, for restful nights after not having slept well, and for all the volleyball fun.
There. Those are only a few general points from that amazing experience. With that, I’ll close my grateful journal for today.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
-Melody Beattie
Think about that. Perhaps it’s time for us to seriously apply 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to our lives.
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Have you ever wondered what God’s will is for you? There is a clear answer. Living in His will is the best, most fulfilling place to be. That’s why I desire to make gratefulness my lifestyle.
As I wrote this, so many more blessings flooded my mind. If we once get started, it’s hard to stop! Therefore, I plan to post part two shortly. Until then, choose gratitude!
Photo Credits: Main Street View and Closing Program by Edward Penner. Scott & I by Deandra Penner.
Inspired to Inspire 