happy thanksgiving
Gratitude is not the festive color of a day, but the shape of a life redeemed.
My deepest wish is that Thanksgiving finds you crowded warm around a table, surrounded by joy. I hope laughter makes you giddy, love satisfies you way down deep, and memory soothes like a hand gently resting against your back.
But if your Thanksgiving finds you dwelling in darker spaces; if gratefulness makes you sore for the fighting, the grasping, the straining to see the good; my tears fall with yours. My prayers today whisper of you, pleading for your hard-fought thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). Look carefully. God dwells in the smallest, sweetest details, pouring out so much grace, in the simple beauty as well as the grandest displays (1 Kings 19:11,12). All things breathe His name, His faithful love, His mighty power, even when we gasp for breath, flailing.
Happy Thanksgiving. Your presence here is a gift. I wonder, might we count our blessings together, today, every day, and give thanks?
100 of the Thousands of Gifts (all grace) for Which I am Truly, Immeasurably Thankful
100. the dance of fall leaves
99. the way Zoe always says, “Mom, can I ask you a question?” As if the answer would ever be no.
98. windows glowing, bright with light
97. Riley decorating her hair with strings of beads and braids
96. when I walk into the gym at the elementary school for an assembly and Adam sees me from across the room, I wave, and he lifts a hand, and I see his mouth form, “Hi, Mommy.”
95. Zoe laughing, breathless, cheeks flushed from running, jumping, imagining outside with friends
94. scarves, hot mugs, soft socks
93. cinnamon
92. long walks with God…every day I possibly can, even in the rain
91. the way He multiplies all our meager offerings, feeding thousands with a few loaves and some fish
90. blue skies, rich and endless
89. heirloom jewelry
88. fresh-baked smells and popping fires
87. the rich, heady fragrance of roses when I walk in the front door; jasmine spilling from a grapevine basket on the table
86. steamy soup on a cold day
85. hats my mom crochets warm, thinking of me
84. holding Kevin’s hand; the flecks of silver in his hair; the way our laughter starts in our eyes, looking at each other, before it ever comes from our lips, making us shake
83. the joke of the day…and Riley asking our friends, “Can I tell you a joke real quick?”…and then, Riley running back to me, her grin wide, “Mom, Mom, he/she laughed!!”
82. wreaths, holly, the mantle dusted in silver and gold
81. early morning talks with Zoe while we wait in the carpool line
80. Adam’s hugs, and the way he leans in to kiss me when I tell him I love him
79. the roar of the ocean and sand on my feet
78. mermaids and well-told stories
77. butterflies
76. cards and texts and emails from friends that make me laugh out loud
75. ornaments made out of seashells
74. polished wood
73. writing…and all the joy of listening
72. the way Riley gets excited over birthdays…everyone’s birthday, even the birthdays of people she barely knows
71. that during the Thanksgiving devotional with our church family, when we were sharing things for which we are thankful, my Riley, this child of mine who once did not know how to speak, raised her hand twice to share gratitude
70. Adam jumping on the trampoline with neighborhood friends, who don’t care that he doesn’t use many words
69. gifts in the mail, just because
68. those who always hear my heart
67. those who always hear God’s heart, and respond
66. quiet moments browsing favorite magazines
65. new recipes
64. Saturday mornings, sipping coffee in my room, waking slowly
63. the way that Riley loves being like my mom
62. our parents…three who pour out love on all of us, sacrificially
61. journals and scrapbooks
60. the way that God whispers, sings, and shouts Christ! Christ! in thousands of visible ways, continually
59. my prayer warrior girls…Riley a lesson in faithfulness, Zoe a lesson in faith-FULL-ness
58. creativity and artistry, the fingerprints of God
57. good health and the ability to exercise
56. freedom, and those, especially and supremely Christ, who have surrendered everything that I might be free
55. iridescence
54. down pillows
53. on a field trip, Zoe hangs out close to my side…her friend says, “Why do you always have to be with your mom?” and Zoe says, with a smile, “Because I like her.”
52. best friends
51. life-changing books, and fiction I can’t put down
50. bulbs, buried and waiting
49. staying on the beach from first light, coffee cup in my hands, till sundown
48. the way the light changes on the shore at the end of the day
47. starfish
46. that spot, all mine, curled up into Kevin’s side
45. a strong, deep, rich cup of coffee
44. accessories, and the girlfriends who understand why I like them
43. the picture on the wall next to my desk…Zoe, laughing, wrapped up in my dad’s arms
42. heart-deep Bible study, and the sisters who share it with me
41. friends who pray for me, always, regardless of whether or not I’ve asked
40. wind chimes
39. sunshine, and going barefoot
38. fresh paint on the wall
37. playing outside
36. finding out that God has been using me in some way I never knew nor ever might have guessed
35. blankets
34. flickering candles
33. crockpot cooking
32. my washer and dryer(…did you know that it took 11 hours to wash a load of clothes with a wash board and lye soap?)
31. clean sheets, and warm, cozy places to sleep
30. quotations that stay with me
29. scripture…the scrapbook the Spirit made for me, about Life
28. memory verses and praying them
27. double dates with treasured friends
26. Christmas movies
25. losing my voice in worship and songs that make me cry
24. hearts openly shared, broken and changed by redemption
23. warm breezes and wind-blown hair
22. the sound of rushing water, the sound of God’s voice (Ezekiel 43:2)
21. baskets, especially made from sweet grass
20. beach glass
19. travel, especially with my soulmate
18. hiking and bike rides
17. jackets with zipper pockets
16. girl time with my girls
15. hot chocolate, and the way it always makes me think of the creamy, steamy chocolate river in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory
14. when my spirit recognizes someone else’s, and we’ve only just met
13. watching the birds on the feeder with Riley, and how all the smallest birds are her favorites
12. that for the first year, Adam was able to tell me what he wants for Christmas: math, another ball like the one PaPa gave him, blocks, Legos, and things to build
11. the letter my brother wrote to Zoe, telling her that diabetes can be a blessing
10. the faithful few who always want to read what I’ve written, and who comment just to let me know they’ve read and it mattered
9. I get the first hug when Kevin walks in the door
8. friends who have used their gifts to bless me
7. clean clothes, warm from the dryer
6. the way the street glitters in the sun
5. hummingbirds
4. kids who want to lick the beaters, the spoon, the bowl
3. the end of the day, when it’s finally time to rest
2. prayers over the phone, tucked away in a room, in circles with legs crossed
1. Love, LOVE, that takes power to understand (Ephesians 3:18), endless grace, life redeemed…I am forever changed, forever in love with Christ.
