Deep Thankfulness

We can all be thankful for our families, husbands, wives, kids, food, possessions, and so on but this Thanksgiving lets dig a little deeper: What is it that we are truly thankful for?

In my community of friends this year there has been a lot of heartbreak some have been harder than others. When I look back and take stock there was a lot of really great things that happened too; pregnancy, new jobs, relationships, engagements, marriages and healings from health conditions. I was talking with a close friend of mine one day who was struggling with the weight of the events of this year and as I listened I began to recount all the good that had happened to them and as I reminded her of those things the heaviness lightened and more joy crept in. I really want to encourage you to take a look at your past year individually and communally taking in the good with the bad and to be truly thankful for those things (even some of the bad). Thankfulness is accompanied by Joy, and don't we all need a little more of that in our lives?

I am personally really thankful for two things this year; first being that I made the biggest commitment of my life to Carl this year and have promised to live our lives together honoring God. I am obviously thankful to be married to my best friend but I am truly thankful for the mutual agreement we made in front of our friends and family on April 5th, that we would truly live selflessly for one another. There is so much security that I now have knowing that we are one and together we get to live adventurously, serve God together and deepen our relationship for the rest of our lives. That's not a simple task and making that commitment was not made lightheartedly either.

Secondly, I am thankful for my sense of stability. For the last 5 years I have been crawling through different avenues trying to attain permanent residency (hold a green-card) here in California. The not knowing whether I was going to have to uproot and move back home was always stressful, I was unable to make real future plans. Within that time period I was unable to travel outside of the United States for two years, which meant I didn't visit my family for a total of three years or get to go on any vacations or mission trips. Now I hold a permanent residency I have the stability to deepen my roots, settle in, plan for my future and have freedom to go wherever I want.

So take a few minutes to think, journal or whichever way you process and remember the blessings from this year. Go a little deeper this year and be truly thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving Lovelies <3