Reason #293
November! I am always thankful for the start of a new month. Really, this is the start of the holiday season, which I love! A month for thanksgiving. A month to celebrate gratitude, and if anyone has a reason to be thankful, it's me! I've got a lot of reasons!
It's amazing how quickly this year has flown by. Seriously, I feel like August just started. The last 3 months have been a blur. They have sped by at a record speed, too. 2012 has been good to me. A year I wasn't quite sure about, a year with a rocky start, has turned into probably the best year of my life thus far. I think about all of the people God has brought into my life this year, the incredible things He has done, the way He has used me, the way He has changed my life, and how He has turned things completely around and I can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thankful" doesn't really seem to do it justice.
I volunteered at a Halloween event last night. My church was hosting the function, so I knew a majority of the people there. I have to just pause and say that I have been blessed with an incredible church family. People who have loved me so dearly, accepted me with open arms, and have played a significant role in my life over the past 8 years. I'm so thankful for them! Anyway, as I was walking across the parking lot, I heard someone call my name. I turned around to see that it was one of my Sunday school teachers from my college years. I was in his class for 2 or 3 years and very much loved it! I really haven't seen him much this year. I remember last year as I was walking up the stairs at church, trying my best to hold it together, I ran into my aunt. I don't know about you, but if I'm on the brink of an emotional breakdown and I see someone I love, I lose it. So I did, right there in the middle of the hallway, I lost it. Tears streamed down my face as she stared at me in shock. We talked for a moment, she hugged me, and I turned around to head up one more flight of stairs. I heard someone call my name and it was my old Sunday school teacher. He said, "I sure hate seeing you upset. Is everything ok?" Well, I just flat out told him, no fluff. I'll never forget the look on his face. He hugged me, stunned and in disbelief, and I was just thankful that at least he knew and could pray for me, too. I needed all the prayer I could get.
So as we talked in the parking lot last night, he asked how I was doing. I was grateful that I could, in all honesty, tell him that I was doing good. Really, I was doing better than good and I know the gigantic smile plastered across my face convinced him of that. Truthfully, it's such a relief to be able to say those words, too. Not only for me, but for my family. Because people ask. People are concerned, and we've been blessed with a lot of really loving, considerate friends who always make sure to check on me. And, with all honesty, we smile and we let them know things are going good... really, really good. And it's true. No sugarcoating, no pretending, nope, things are going good! And so as I told him last night that life was treating me well, he looked me in the eye and he said, "I'm glad to hear that. It's good to see you smiling again."
It's good to be smiling, and really, I have a lot to smile about so it's hard to keep from it. It's impossible to wear a different expression when joy is so prominent. Because the truth is, He really does turn our despair into praise and our mourning into joy (Isaiah 61:3). I'm a prime example of that! And so I'm thankful. Thankful to be smiling again. Thankful for the many, many blessings that have played a major role in bring my smile back. And most of all, thankful that I serve a God who only lets sorrow last for the night, and is faithful to bring joy in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
#293 - Because He has given me a lot to smile about!
"But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, praising him to everyone." - Psalm 109:30
It's amazing how quickly this year has flown by. Seriously, I feel like August just started. The last 3 months have been a blur. They have sped by at a record speed, too. 2012 has been good to me. A year I wasn't quite sure about, a year with a rocky start, has turned into probably the best year of my life thus far. I think about all of the people God has brought into my life this year, the incredible things He has done, the way He has used me, the way He has changed my life, and how He has turned things completely around and I can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thankful" doesn't really seem to do it justice.
I volunteered at a Halloween event last night. My church was hosting the function, so I knew a majority of the people there. I have to just pause and say that I have been blessed with an incredible church family. People who have loved me so dearly, accepted me with open arms, and have played a significant role in my life over the past 8 years. I'm so thankful for them! Anyway, as I was walking across the parking lot, I heard someone call my name. I turned around to see that it was one of my Sunday school teachers from my college years. I was in his class for 2 or 3 years and very much loved it! I really haven't seen him much this year. I remember last year as I was walking up the stairs at church, trying my best to hold it together, I ran into my aunt. I don't know about you, but if I'm on the brink of an emotional breakdown and I see someone I love, I lose it. So I did, right there in the middle of the hallway, I lost it. Tears streamed down my face as she stared at me in shock. We talked for a moment, she hugged me, and I turned around to head up one more flight of stairs. I heard someone call my name and it was my old Sunday school teacher. He said, "I sure hate seeing you upset. Is everything ok?" Well, I just flat out told him, no fluff. I'll never forget the look on his face. He hugged me, stunned and in disbelief, and I was just thankful that at least he knew and could pray for me, too. I needed all the prayer I could get.
So as we talked in the parking lot last night, he asked how I was doing. I was grateful that I could, in all honesty, tell him that I was doing good. Really, I was doing better than good and I know the gigantic smile plastered across my face convinced him of that. Truthfully, it's such a relief to be able to say those words, too. Not only for me, but for my family. Because people ask. People are concerned, and we've been blessed with a lot of really loving, considerate friends who always make sure to check on me. And, with all honesty, we smile and we let them know things are going good... really, really good. And it's true. No sugarcoating, no pretending, nope, things are going good! And so as I told him last night that life was treating me well, he looked me in the eye and he said, "I'm glad to hear that. It's good to see you smiling again."
It's good to be smiling, and really, I have a lot to smile about so it's hard to keep from it. It's impossible to wear a different expression when joy is so prominent. Because the truth is, He really does turn our despair into praise and our mourning into joy (Isaiah 61:3). I'm a prime example of that! And so I'm thankful. Thankful to be smiling again. Thankful for the many, many blessings that have played a major role in bring my smile back. And most of all, thankful that I serve a God who only lets sorrow last for the night, and is faithful to bring joy in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
#293 - Because He has given me a lot to smile about!
"But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, praising him to everyone." - Psalm 109:30