Thankful for...

Little Man's Mayflower diagram

It's that time of year once again to be thankful...as if we shouldn't be thankful each and every day.  I'm so glad that in America, there is a day set aside to give thanks and show gratitude for the full lives that we get to live here on earth.  Jesus said in John 10:10b, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  I often wonder about people who do not believe that there is a God; who are they thankful to?  It is hard to say thanks without having someone to tell it to.  I know that it is possible to be thankful for what you have and glad that you exist but who/what do you show gratitude to, if not to God?

This time of year is bitter sweet for our family.  We have so much to be thankful for but there are also some sad times attached to the fall for us.  Many of the special people in our life have passed away during the fall so it is difficult to remember the happy times without also shedding a few tears of loss.  My husband has had many losses on his side of the family including his own dad four years ago.  He passed away the day after Thanksgiving in 2008 and is very missed by his wife, sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren...three that he had the opportunity to enjoy, one that he never had the privilege to meet, and one on the way.  We are thankful, of course, for the time that we did get to spend with him but wish that it could have been longer.  All the holidays were more entertaining with "Pop" around.   There is definitely a void there that can't be filled, eventhough we enjoy being together in his absence.  He did help make life very full.



Proud Grandpa
 

I have mentioned in several other posts that I am blessed beyond measure.  I do have so many things to be thankful for during one of my favorite times of the year.  Here are my top ten. 
*My God, who provides all that I could ever need
*A husband and best friend who loves, honors, protects and provides for our family
*My three amazing kids
*My extended family
*Wonderful friends both near and far
*My health and the health of my family
*A warm and happy home
*Always having enough
*Laughter
*Love

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.  Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the LORD is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his;  we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  -Psalms 100

Waiting is Hard

Because of the the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.      -Lamentations 3: 22-26

IN CASE YOU HADN'T HEARD
I have been thinking a lot about patience and faith lately.  Our family is in the middle of a very big transition in our lives.  After thirteen years of service here, in about six weeks, Jamie will no longer be working for First Baptist Church of Los Alamos.  At the beginning of January, we will officially be church planters.  Our "plan" is to move to Santa Fe as soon as our home sells and begin a new chapter in our ministry and in our family.  We continue to press forward with this plan and wait with anticipation for all that God is going to do in and through us there.  What an exciting time!  However, it still feels a little surreal.  There is no place like limboland.

LIFE GOES ON
One thing that is keeping me from really feeling like it is going to happen, is that our life here just goes on normally as we continue with all our usual activities.  The kids continue to participate in choir, sports, AWANA, and spend time with friends.  We've been talking about this next step for a loooooonnnnng time but it has yet to become a reality, so we live life as usual.  We are all just waiting for the new, the unknown, to come into our lives.  Waiting for a new life to begin is difficult and strange. 

WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE?
I  like to plan things out.  This is something that has been a huge test for me during this time.  There is nothing for me to plan.  Sure, I can plan what to put in the next box that I pack but I don't know what anything is going to be like when I unpack it.  I don't know where I am going to live or who my neighbors will be.  I don't really know what our lives are going to look like at all.  I don't even know when we will be hitting the road.  My best bet right now, is to take one day as it comes.  I'm working on resting in the fact that God knows my future so I don't really need to know until I need to know.  In the meantime, I will make dinner tonight,  we will see family for Thanksgiving, we will decorate for Christmas...while waiting for the next who, what, when and where.

FOR SALE
The biggest challenge so far has been waiting for our home to sell.  Keeping our house clean and ready to show is equally difficult!  For anyone who has ever been in this position with young children, I know that you know what I mean.  Unfortunately, the market is very slow.  Our home has been on it for about four months and we've only had a handful of showings.  I will be very glad to have the selling of our house behind us.  I will miss this house but I will be thrilled for it to belong to someone else.  While I wait, I have a safe, warm and comfortable place to sleep at night and for that I am very grateful.

NOT CONSUMED
I am reminded of another time when these verses first became a gift to me at another time of waiting and watching for God to work in my life.  More than nine years ago,  we were hoping and trying for a second child.  We waited a long time.  I finally became pregnant in July of 2003.  We were ecstatic to find out that we would be welcoming another baby into our family in April of the following year.  Unfortunately, I lost that child.  Within a few weeks of having great joy, I entered a time of devastating sorrow.  It was probably the hardest testing of my faith that I have ever endured.  Through searching for comfort, God directed me to this passage of scripture.  Waiting was hard.  But, I survived that wait and our son was born in September of 2004.  God kept his promise and I was not consumed. 

WORTH THE WAIT
Going through difficult times like that one have helped remind me of God's faithfulness.  While this time of waiting does not compare to the very sad time that I went through several years ago, waiting is still hard.  I know that God has a plan, it may not look like the one I keep trying to form in my mind.  It may be very different than what I would like to happen.  But, I know that He will continue to be my portion.  I can trust that His word is true.  He will provide all our needs.  I will wait for Him and I know it will be worth the wait.