I was reading a blog post and it reminded me that the majority of us have so much to be thankful for. I'm not talking about huge houses, fancy cars, or fat paychecks. I'm referring to the sometimes little things. The post was about people that are persecuted for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's rather eye-opening when I think about the normalness of getting up, getting dressed, and going to church in the morning. It's nothing really special or even thought about much other than the normal "To Do" list that tends to go with it like every other day. I have to: dress, breakfast, grab Bible & other stuff to give to "so and so" when/if I see them, ensure dogs are taken out & treated, get safely down the stairs, drive to church in time to meet/greet folks, etc. That's it. I don't have to think about a different route to ensure no one is following me or pretending to go to a friend's instead of meeting for Bible study/prayer or dodging roadside bombs. None of that. Just normal every-weekday stuff. Something to think about.
And on that note. I got to thinking about what I'm thankful for. Really, truly thankful for. So.....
1. The Everyday Blessings.
Just like above: the normalness of my day-to-day life. Not worrying about hunger, bombs, or persecution. Just the everyday stresses and a few added-on ones being a military spouse. But still, even those on a normal basis isn't really much. He's home at the moment and not deployed somewhere, so there's no worry about his safety.
2. Unknown Blessings
How many times have I complained in the past about "Why isn't X going faster? Don't they know I'm in a hurry?!?!?!" "ARG!!! I woke up late, now EVERYTHING is behind" I read a "conversation" on Facebook about talking to God and asking Him about the irritations in life. It was the gripe, gripe, gripe on the side of the human with God listening and taking all of the questions in before He responded. The response was....well, in short: unknown blessings. The late waking up? The devil was fighting super hard and Heaven was fighting super hard right back for you...letting you sleep through it. The X going slow? The slow driver just helped divert an accident that you would've been in if you would've been at X intersection/light at such-and-such of time. It really made me realize that there are soooo many instances where we didn't get hurt; didn't get into an accident; didn't get side-swiped; didn't get killed; didn't....well, you get the idea. And for those (and some I do know/find out about) I am beyond thankful.
3. My husband.
I will write about love and how I know one day, but this is about something similar, but different. Oops! Horrible sentence, but I'm leaving it. ;-)
I am thankful that I have a supportive husband. I quit my job on-base back in 2007 to return to school in order to get my degree. While I "should" have been done by now, I'm not. Although there are reasons and kind-of explanations, I think it's more...well, see #2. Either way....not done with the bachelor's degree yet. I have 3 classes left. Then starting on my masters....I hope. He has been supportive through this process. When I need to do homework or whatever, he leaves me be and does things around the house so I can focus on whatever I need to focus on. After the first couple of years-ish, we (um....actually he) had to pay for the classes out of pocket. I cut back on the number of classes (hence one reason it pushed my timeframe back) so as to pay for said classes and still have money to eat. They have went up also $100 in just a year. Really?!?!?! I digress. Although he wasn't happy, he sees it as an investment for our future....we will see the investment return with dividends once I start using my degree in my chosen profession: accounting.
4. My dogs.
We have 2 mixed-breed dogs. We got Danny about a month after we got married. Belle was my Christmas present that same year. They have been with me/us ever since. Danny just turned 13; Belle turns 13 in August. They seem to know when either of us isn't feeling well and just need a furry body to pet or curl up with. I have spent every single Christmas since we got them with them. Hubby has been deployed a few of those times, but when he's home, we're all together. I am grateful that they are there...especially when he's gone on a deployment (was 4 months now 6 months or longer) or a TDY (temporary duty....kinda like a business trip). They are there....reminding me that someone loves me and is there...sometimes just to listen and be close.
5. My heavenly Father.
I am grateful to be a child of God. While I was raised in church by a preacher, when I graduated basic training and one thing after another happened, I kinda went my own way. Fast forward years later: I returned to His loving arms one day in church here. I have not regretted it one day. I have thought about regrets (walking away all that time ago), but realize that my experiences and choices made me who I am today. If I hadn't walked away, then ran, I wouldn't be as thankful or understand as much as I do today. Although I never dropped to depths of some folks I have talked to, I did my share....within reason. I can now tell people, "Just because you're a good person doesn't mean Jack. I was there. I wasn't a "bad" person, I just wasn't a Christian." I am now. I am thankful that He never gave up; always kept trying to speak to me in different ways (sometimes through other people); protected me; loved me.
~What are you thankful for?
