My Nannie, my maternal grandmother, was a woman of small stature and frail health but a woman of great faith. She had severe heart problems and a laundry list of other health problems. But it never stopped her from thanking God for her blessings. Every day, she would recount the verse from Psalms, “today is the day the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” She didn’t say, “today is the day the Lord hath made. I will rejoice in it if things are going my way.” Or, “I might rejoice in it if I’m feeling like it.”
A woman who had could have had every reason to bemoan her circumstances chose to greet every day with praise and Thanksgiving. She didn’t save her thanks for the last Thursday in November. She didn’t let her feet hit the floor every single day without words of thanks and praise. God did bless her with a loving family, lots of friends, and a long life.
Nannie didn’t have a big bank account. She could barely afford her medication each month but God provided. My mama and daddy made sure she had the medicine she needed each month without complaint. Nannie couldn’t move around a lot as her health declined. But God provided. I helped get her anything she needed and when she got to go to Disney World, I pushed her in a wheelchair. I was excited to be able to help her.
Today, as we gather with family or as we go to work or as we sit alone, let us rejoice in this day. And every single day in between this Thanksgiving and next. Let us not focus on the things that aren’t going our way and think of the many blessings we have. Let’s claim the goodness of life even when we may not be able to clearly see it.
Today I am grateful for my journey this past year. It has not been easy and some days I just wanted to stay in the bed with the covers over my head. I am thankful for the blessings that lined up for me to be able to make a big change in my life. One day I’m going to tell the story but just know that I felt like God was beside me every step of the way, moving things that only He could. With God, I can do anything and with God, HE can do anything. When I don’t understand why things happen the way they happen, I cling to the promise that there is a plan for my life that is bigger than I can imagine. And it’s good.
Today I am thankful for the blessing of friendship, the roof over my head, my health, and my family. I am thankful for the things that hurt me, too. I rejoice in the things that have not yet happened in my life and I wait with anticipation of the goodness of God. No matter what happens, I know that I am a chosen child of God and I will be ok. I am grateful for this life that I’ve been given and I pray that I can use it to help others. Today, I know that it is a good day that God has given me and I will rejoice and be glad in it. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Be blessed and be a blessing.
Messpot Diaries 