A Heart of Thankfulness

"My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him who bore my pain. Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace and gave me life again. Who crushed my curse of sinfulness and clothed me in His light, and wrote His law of righteousness with power upon my heart!"

~Keith and Kristyn Getty, My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness

Wow. November has just flown by, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry about that....

As we approach Thanksgiving, the topic of thankfulness and grace has been on my mind immensely lately. Of course, I've also been dreaming of turkey smothered in gravy, but on a more serious note, for the first time this year, I think I truly understand what Thanksgiving is: a day set aside, away from the hustle and bustle of ordinary life, to truly give thanks to God.

But Mira, I can hear you saying, Aren't we supposed to do that every day?

Well yes. We're supposed to. But if I'm being honest, I know that I fail and "forget" more often than not. I'm not proud of it at all. I'm trying to do better, and with God's grace one day I will be.

But for this Thanksgiving, I want to take the first steps and take this day to breathe. To commune with God. To look outside, see the rainy, cold, gray sky and say, Thank You Lord for giving me this world to be alive in.

Because what I'm realizing more and more is that gratitude is a choice. I may not always "feel" thankful for something, and I may not always "feel" like thanking God for it. And yet my feelings don't matter. What matters is that I honor my King and praise Him for everything He has done, from giving flight to the birds to redeeming my broken, wretched life for His glory!

If I'm being perfectly honest, it's been a crazy couple weeks for me. I'm just stealing a couple minutes here to type up this post, and so today, all that I have for you guys is my list of what I'm thankful for. I hope you enjoy reading over it, and that it encourages you to make your own thankful list! ♥ Today, I am choosing to be thankful for:

• My salvation. I don't deserve it. On my own, I never would have chosen God. I think the song All I Have is Christ put it best: 'And as I ran my hell-bound race, indifferent to the cost, You looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross.' The unmerited favor of Christ is something that moves me to tears often these days, and I never want to forget to thank God for it. ♥

• My family. My goodness, these guys are wonderful. I can't imagine a crazier, wilder bunch, but I literally could not live without them.

• My writing. Stories have become my life, and through that, I have had such a deeper awareness of who God is and His impact on my life. I am so thankful for the way He's grown and deepened my faith through my writing!

• My car. Yes, it may be old, but I'm thankful I have a way to drive at all.

• Christmas trees. Because we all need a little holiday cheer in December. :D

• Rainy days. However cold they might be, there's something charming about them all the same.

• My church family. Gathering and worshipping with them every sunday is something I cherish.

What are you thankful for this year? ♥

A bit of a shorter post from me today, but I'm wishing you all the very best of Thanksgivings!! May your turkey be juicy, your rolls buttery, and your cranberry sauce non-existent.

Until next time, stay undistracted, and keep an open heart.

Love,

~Mira