Thankful for life in the cracks

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

There is so much to be thankful for this year.
There are the things that are always in my list…

Jesus
Family
Friends
A house to give me shelter
A home to share life, love, laughter,
Food on my table
Health

But God has been stirring in me so much more to give thanks for…

I’m thankful for dishes piled up in the sink still needing to be washed
Because of the quality time spent over a meal that they represent
I’m thankful for muscles that are still sore after a week
Because they represent where I’m going instead of where I came from
I’m thankful for all the tears shed this past year
Because they drew me closer to God
I’m thankful for the constant Spiritual attack we feel under the pressure of
Because it means that the enemy feels a need to fight against me
I’m thankful for the move my good friends and neighbors are making even though I am going to miss them terribly

Because it means I will have new opportunities to be a light for new neighbors
I’m thankful for the constant chaos that I feel with toys and stuff strewn all over my house - all the time.
Because it represents the young ones that I love so much who are healthy and able and vivacious

I'm thankful for the friendships that aren’t the same anymore
Because in my grappling with the fact that I can’t make people want my friendship God shows me how much my grief resembles His when I don’t choose Him.

I’m thankful that God is in the middle of the deep cracks in my life that cause so much pain sometimes.

For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.
2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 NLT

There is abundant LIFE in the cracks!