Thankful.

I guess it's that time again. It's kind of crazy that Thanksgiving has already rolled around once more. It's wild to think that this is my nineteenth Turkey Day. It's so easy to get overwhelmed with the things that come with this day... Turkey, football, turkey, family, sentimentality, turkey, friends, Black Friday shopping, and more turkey. Not to say that any of those are bad, obviously. But I think we sometimes miss the real meaning behind this holiday.

Thanksgiving is called what it's called for a reason. It is a day to give thanks. To remember all that we have been blessed with, and to take a moment and appreciate it and recognize the One who has blessed us. It's so easy to take for granted everything that we have. Thanksgiving should be a reality check that we CAN NOT DO THAT. We have been given too much to take a speck of it for granted.

I know that this mostly sounds like conservative rambling, but I'm getting to a point, I promise. I was kind of hit with a realization tonight. I was just browsing Facebook, creeping on whoever, when I read a status that said "I have so much to be thankful for." I kinda liked it, so I commented on it and agreed and all that stuff, but then went on my way, creeping along. But then that thought came back to me. I know it's cliche, but then it struck me. WE HAVE GOT SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. God has blessed us with so much more than we deserve. I love the verse "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change." (James 1:17). It's such a great reminder of WHO has blessed us.

The number one thing that we have been blessed with is Jesus Christ Himself. A Savior who loves us, forgives us, and lavishes grace after grace after grace upon us. So often I overlook the fact that I am who I am, and I live because, and only because of Jesus. This in itself is so much more than any of us deserve. I have been reading Romans lately and while in chapter five, I came across this verse: "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (verse 8). I was tempted to just keep on reading, but the truth of that statement wouldn't let me. This verse should BLOW ME AWAY. We humans are all disgusting, depraved, broken sinners. WE DESERVE NOTHING. But Jesus, in His mercy, spared us by giving up HIS life to atone for transgressions. Not because of anything we did, but because of His grace.

If nothing else, we have that to be thankful for.

But God hasn't stopped there. He chose to bless me with so much even beyond that. He has given me an incredible family that loves me, a place to sleep and come home to, an able and working mind, an able and working body, and people that actually genuinely care about me. Just to name a few. These are things that He has given me, but He also extends to me something far deeper than any of those I just named. He has offered to use me. To involve me in His plan to draw people to Himself and make known the Kingdom of God. He doesn't, by any stretch of the imagination, need me, but He offers to use me. He has recently given me the amazing opportunity to have a direct influence. I co-mentor a group of sixth grade guys, and it has been so incredible to see God work in so many different ways. And the fact that He chose to use me to accomplish some of this work, I can not put my mind around. Jesus is so good, and the more and more I realize that, the more and more purpose I find every day, and the more and more joy I find. Christ is our satisfaction, identity, and joy. INCREDIBLE.

I guess that's enough rambling. All that to say that, if you haven't already, count your blessings today/tomorrow. Take a moment and give thanks to the Lord for what He has done.

I'm out.

CRT13