Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thanksgiving Preparations

Today I'm getting ready for my first Thanksgiving in my own home.

Mark and I have decided to spend all the holidays at home this year. We want to keep things low key, and be able to include a visit to the cemetery in our plans. As I was cooking and cleaning today, I kept thinking about Jairus. How he'd be crawling around my feet this year if he were here, getting his first tastes of lots of yummy food prepared by doting grandparents, aunts and uncles. Maybe he'd cry when I was trying to get food into the oven and bonk his head when I was trying to sit down for 5 minutes rest. I'd get much less done, which I'd prefer. There are so many blessed things I am missing this Thanksgiving with my baby gone. But the Lord continues to remind me of the innumerable ways HE has blessed my family this year, and for all of these and more, I am Thankful....

I am thankful for my husband, who is my best friend and confidant. He continues to bless me with his love and understanding, with his patience and steadfastness. His care and gentleness for our family is immeasurable.
I am thankful for my sweet Emma, who is growing into such a precious girl. Everyday I get to see her learn and lead and immerse us all in a wonderful world of pretend.
I am thankful for my precious Hazen, who gives me all the hugs and cuddles I could ask for. He keeps me on my toes with his adventure and it is an honor to see him starting to become the little man God is molding him into.
I am thankful for my Heaven Baby, Jairus. My life is so much more rich for his having been in it. I have had the blessing to know God more deeply and see HIS grace more clearly as a result of Jairus. Though much pain has been caused by his going to Heaven so soon, I would not trade his place in my family for anything.
I am thankful for our extended family, whose support and love and encouragement has seen us through many dark days this year, and who rejoice with us at all the mini-miracles surrounding us.
I am thankful for my dear friends who walk daily with me in my journey of being a wife, mother, daughter and friend. I don't know where (or who) I'd be without you.
I am thankful for my church family, who support us, challenge us and love on us faithfully as Christ's representatives to this world.
I am thankful for my home, our health, Mark's job, my children's school, the list goes on....

Most of all, I am thankful this year for Jesus' love, grace, and comfort. HE is good. I know it with the depths of my soul. All good things are from above, all thanks goes to Him as the giver. We are just the joyful recipients, He's the glorious giver! His mercies sustain me. His joy is rooted deep within me. He has been my comfort and my peace. This day of Thanksgiving is for Him.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." 
Revelation 7:9-12

May your Thanksgiving be a day of praise to Jesus, who is worthy of all our thanks.

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