Thanks Be To God

I have often taken things for granted. Or maybe I didn’t know how great I had it until a later time. Either way, it’s an interesting exercise to take a look at your life and be thankful for the things that we are blessed with. It’s especially good when we start to think we have it so bad with either a stressful day at work or when we get sick. We, or should I say I, start to feel bad for myself. There are so many people out in the world that don’t have any idea where their next meal will come from, or if their house will be taken from them, or if their loved one will make it through their battle with cancer. I don’t think it’s because Thanksgiving is around the corner, but it won’t hurt to start being more thankful for the blessings that God has given me.

To start, I am incredibly thankful for family. My family. They are so loving and faithful to be there for me when I need them. I am thankful for the love of my life Ben. He is the greatest and continues to show me more and more love than I deserve. I am so thankful for friends that I can truly call friends. I think it’s great to be able to still have connections with people even if you don’t see them all the time (although I would like to). I am thankful for my job and for Ben’s job. Sometimes it’s hard to go away on trips and be away from the people I love, but I truly do love my job. I’m thankful for the trials in my life. Without them, I wouldn’t be as strong as I am. Although I have to say, I haven’t faced anything like a lot of people I know.

If I wasn't thankful, how would I know I am blessed? I have so much to be thankful for!

And in all of these blessings, I know I have one person to thank. Jesus. My Jesus…who sacrificed himself for ME. He was thinking about me when he came down from heaven and he was thinking about me on that cross.

“16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:16-20