A GREAT Thanksgiving

What do you do when a sour situation makes you sick thinking about the holidays? Given our overwhelming family crisis this year, our Thanksgiving feast isn’t looking too jubilant. Sure I can be thankful for the obvious things… a nice home, clean running water, clothing, and food, but sometimes it just hard to get your head straight. Can anyone relate?

Sending our only daughter away to a therapeutic boarding school was a difficult decision; however, a few weeks ago her counselor told me that their resident doctor wants to perform a formal psychiatric test to know exactly what she is dealing with. They are pretty sure she is suffering from post traumatic stress, but they want to make sure there is not something else. Yikes~!

Immediately I filled out the forms and submitted my credit card for payment, but honestly, I was filled with despair. Heart-sick, I asked the usual questions. Why me? Why our family? What did we do wrong? And how am I going to face the holidays?

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the struggles I experienced with my teen, but when I kneel before my Heavenly Father, I find He helps me open my spiritual eyes. I discover Christ in my heart and mind in a deeper way than ever experienced before.

So this year I’ve decided to have a GREAT THANKSGIVING because I am not going to base it on the many little things. I am making the choice to truly practice what I believe in my heart.. the MOST IMPORTANT THING in the whole wide world.

I AM THANKFUL FOR JESUS.

Whatever adversity may come my way, I choose to believe that He will work all things out for good because I love Him (Romans 8:28), and therefore, I will rejoice in Him.

Because of His story, His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, I can face anything with hope and joy. I am not sure how our situation will unfold, but I am prayerfully thankful as I walk out His purposes for my life. This will be my story for His glory!

Did you know that only you can tell your story for His glory?  No one else can walk your journey… but you.

Often life isn’t easy, but we can choose Christ. Our situations can be glorious when we surrender them to Him and ask for His resurrection power to flood our lives with grace.
- We are loved and accepted in Christ.
- We have our hope in Christ.
- We have our future in Christ.
- We can learn to hope and dream with purpose… for we are beautifully made to love God and allow His love to miraculously transform our ashes into something beautiful for His glory.

But we must know who we are in Christ!   

If you don’t understand your great inheritance as a child of God, I want to offer you a  Beautifully Made Bookmark that you can use as a prayer pamphlet to encourage yourself as you daily walk out your true identity in Christ. To obtain this free online resource, click here.

And this year, I hope you will join me as I gratefully celebrate Jesus with a GREAT Thanksgiving holiday.

Blessings,
Barb

PS. And no matter what the doctor’s says, I’m going with His good report.

6 responses to “A GREAT Thanksgiving

  1. Praising HIM in the storm is the only way to live in peace and joy! Praying for your daughter and your family!

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    • Thanks for the prayers Heidi. I agree with you about praising Him. He is the only way!

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  2. Life is so hard…and relationships are even harder. With God’s strength you will all make it through, sadly sometimes the pain is necessary to reach the other side of the trouble.Praying for your family sweetie! and that you will find a way to weather the upcoming holiday season with grace and love.

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  3. Barb,
    Thanks for sharing. Keep focusing on Jesus and trusting Him. For this you have JESUS, and thankfully He is more than adequate.
    Praising God for you and your daughter, and praying for continued wisdom and healing,

    Ruth

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    • Thank you for your prayers, Ruth. I am truly trying to keep my focus on Jesus. He is our only hope for whatever situation comes our way. Praising God because I know He is good.

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