Thankfulness...

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Last week pastor Ryan asked me if I would be willing to give a testimony in church about what I am thankful for.  He also added that he would be focusing on being thankful for our freedom in his message, and that I could add to that in my testimony.

When I think about what I am thankful for, the first and foremost thing that comes to mind is my salvation.  The greatest gift that was ever bestowed upon me was when Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for me.  I am also thankful that I have always believed in God and never doubted my faith in him.  I have led a life that I have put the Lord first and always trusted in him and where he was leading me.  Through this, I have had a very blessed life.

I love the facebook tradition during the month of November of posting something different you are thankful for each day.  I actively participate in this.  Each day I think about something different I feel blessed to have in my life and give thanks for it.  I have been provided a very blessed life.

I have been raised by two extraordinary parents who set forth a wonderful Christian example for me and my brother.  They took care of us and gave us everything we needed and more.  Life in our house was not only comfortable, but enjoyable.  We always knew how to enjoy each other and have fun.  I am thankful to say that I have had a wonderful childhood thanks to my parents, and my brother.  I am one of those fortunate people to say that I have always been close friends with my brother.  Even though we lead our own separate lives today, we still come together and laugh and have the best time when we are together.  I am thankful for my family.

I am lucky enough to say that I have found love.  Around a year and a half ago I started dating Dexter.  Now he is my best friend, and the love of my life.  I am thankful for the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with him.  I am blessed to be able to plan this wedding, and even more fortunate to have the means to have a wedding celebration this coming July.

I am thankful that I have the necessities of every day life.  I am not wanting for food each day at meal times.  I have plenty of blankets, clothing, and toiletry type items.  And my items for entertainment are abundant enough that some might think I needed less.  I have all that I need, and much more.

I have a job that I not only get to go to every day and get paid to do it, but I LOVE it!  I am thankful that I have been able to do a job that brings me joy for eight year now.  The real blessing of my job is that I learn something new all the time.  It is funny how much these little guys teach me on a daily basis.  And it may sound silly, but children's books teach great lessons.  It's very interesting as an adult to read books that are aimed to teach children a lesson, and I get something out of them as well.  Sometimes the meaning I get out of the book is not its intention, but I know it is the Lord speaking to me in a way that I will understand, and enjoy.  I am thankful for this.

After Ryan asked me to speak on being thankful  for freedom, I began reading a book to my class about Thanksgiving.  Since it is November, and we love our Junie B. Jones First Grader series, we started her new book: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff).  For those of you who have never read these books, Junie B is a very active child.  She has an active imagination as well, and she is always saying something interesting and most of the time humerus.  In this book, her teacher asks the class to make a list of things they are thankful for.  When the class starts only listing tasty food items they enjoy as the only thing they are thankful for, their teacher tries to give them another example of something to be thankful for.  He says, "...there are other things to be thankful for boys and girls.  For one thing, in our country we're lucky to have freedom.  Freedom is one reason the Pilgrims came to America.  Did anyone put freedom on your Thankful list?"  While all of the children look at their list and ponder over what he has just said a boy named Roger stands up and says, "We're only six.  We don't really have any freedom.  I'm not even allowed to cross the street by myself."  A boy named Jose continues, " I have to go to bed at seven-thirty.  And half the time it's still light outside!"  Then Herbert stands up to say, "Well, wait till you hear this one!  I have to eat cooked carrots or I don't get a cookie after dinner.  And I am forced to take a multi-vitamin!  Does that sound like freedom?"  Their teacher then realizes what a concept freedom is, and tries to reach his class on a new level by letting them be thankful for the rainbow sprinkles, toilet paper, and money that they chose initially to add to their list.  And he goes on to say that part of freedom means, they can be thankful for whatever they wish.  So this week, I realized with my class that being thankful for freedom doesn't necessarily mean we are thankful for getting to vote, or the opportunity to better ourselves through an education, but it means we can be thankful for the freedom to eat Kit Kats cause they are our favorite candy bar, or thankful for our favorite stuffed elephant who we can always depend on.  My class taught me that being thankful for freedom is quite a big concept.  And I am thankful for them.