Faithfulness to Thankfulness

Thankful. The word alone makes me smile and cringe at the same time. 

I cringe because I am instantly convicted of never being thankful enough. Every time I come home from a different country and have experienced a new level of poverty, I am determined to be more thankful. But I am still never thankful enough.

I smile because I think of all of the things, places and people that I am thankful for.

Recently, God has reminded me that I am called to be thankful. I believe the words that Luke wrote so many years ago still apply to me... "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much..." So, I am determined to be thankful in the "little things" knowing that God will then see my faithfulness to thankfulness and bless me.

The truth is I have so much to be thankful for. But here are a few things that stick out to me... I hope that this will inspire you to make a list of everything you're thankful for. We can't out-thank God!

1. My family. I know, I know, can I get any cheesier by starting out with this one?? As cliche as it is, it's true. My family has had the biggest role in helping me be the person that God has called me to be. They have loved me through arguments, sickness, and practical jokes. They have taught me not only with their words, but with their lives how to be a kind person. We could honestly write a book entitled "Five Kids, Four Little Ones, Three More Sisters, Two Parents, and A Partridge In A Pear Tree."

2. Freedom. I am thankful for not only living in a "free country", but for being able to say that I know what true freedom really is. Freedom from sin and freedom from Hell.

3. Grace. I'm thankful for the grace that could only come from a tree that my best friend bled and died on for me.

4. Friends. I have friends who are 2 years old and I have friends who are 75. I have been so blessed with a plethora of friends. Some of them closer than others, but all of them have a purpose in my life.

5. Airplanes. Do you think I'm crazy yet?? Yes, it's true. Airplanes made the list. No, I am not a 5 year old boy - I am a girl who has a passion for every people group in the world to know and love Jesus Christ. Because of that, I am simply thankful for airplanes.

6. Church. This can be a hard one for me to be thankful for. For most of my life, I have had to choose to be thankful for church. I've grown up being at church for hours on end each week, most weeks every single day. It was hard for me as a young girl to be thankful for something that I could never get away from. Now, though, I have learned that without the church I would not be who I am today. The church (meaning the people, not the building) has taught me to love Jesus, to always have hope, and to always put others before myself.

7. Children. I can never soak in children enough. There's something about the innocence of a child mixed with their undeniable faith in every single person that is contagious.

8. Christmas. At my house, Christmas is the holiday that lasts from October to January. Literally! Although I love the music, the cookies and the decorations, that is not why I am thankful for it. I am thankful for Christmas because it's the beginning of the end of separation from God. When Jesus was born on this earth, He broke all tradition. He bridged the gap between man and God.

9. Easter. I am perhaps most thankful for Easter. I am thankful for the cross because it means that I am free from sin. I am thankful for the torn veil because it means I have direct access to God. I am thankful for the empty tomb because it means that death has been conquered. I am thankful for Jesus leaving this earth because He promised to return.

10. Rainbows. Rainbows means that God will never leave us nor forsake us. He will stay good on His word to return. I never have to doubt Him.

11. The Future. Jeremiah 29:11 promises me that God's plans for my life are good. I'm thankful that God has provided a future for me not only on this Earth, but with Him. Even if His plan for my life is to die tomorrow and be with Him forever, I'm still thankful for it.

12. My Sister. Although she falls under the category of my family, I cannot write this list without being specifically thankful for her. Joy has taught me how to use a "potty" (no I am not kidding!!), that it really is more important to be kind than to be pretty, and how to love people how Jesus does.

13. Books. I'm thankful for books because they teach me lessons that people can't. Books have the ability to automatically transfer me from Earth to any other planet.

14. A Christian School. Not many teenagers can say that they have learned most of their Bible knowledge from their high school. I can. I'm thankful for my parents who have sacrificed throughout my entire life to give me the best education possible. Not just academically, but spiritually.

15. Relationships. I'm thankful for the loving relationship I have with my family. I'm thankful for the refreshing relationship I have with my friends. I'm thankful for the wise relationship I have with my teachers and mentors. I'm thankful for the simple relationship I have with kids. But most of all, I'm thankful for the ultimate relationship I have with Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that the God of the universe pursues my relationship with Him and He never stops being faithful to me.

		"Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
		Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
		Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
		For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100: 2-5