It Doesn’t Need to
Be Thanksgiving to Be Thankful
I was on the
phone with my parents the other day talking about possible return dates, so we
could schedule a flight home for Thanksgiving. It is hard to imagine that in
three and a half months we will be at home celebrating Thanksgiving with our
family and friends. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a bit homesick. I
spent the rest of the day thinking about that Thanksgiving meal: the green bean
casserole, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, the yams, the vegetable platters,
the deviled eggs, the pumpkin pie, the jello dishes, and of course, the turkey.
But then, I started to think more about the people that made each of these
amazing dishes than the actual dishes themselves.
I started to
think about my dad who would take me to the local practice fields when I was
younger just to go toss the football around and then take me to get a slurpee.
I started to think about all the late night movies and market runs that we
would make together. I started to think just how fortunate I was to have a
father that was so involved in my life.
I started to
think about my mom who always puts my needs before her own. I started to
remember all the fun we would share in the short-trips down to San Diego or
Malibu. I started to think about the times when she would have to go into work
but still needed to watch me; so, she would bring me into work, set up a movie
in the conference room, and get me breakfast from McDonalds. I started to think
just how grateful I was to have such a deep agape love from my mother.
I started to
think about my aunts, uncles, and grandfather who would treat me as if I was
one of their own. I started to think about all of my cousins who are basically
my siblings. I started to think about all of my friends who would drop anything
just to help me if I ever asked. As I thought about these blessings, I thanked
God for such an incredible group of family and friends. I am reading a book
called Boundaries and it states that one
of the greatest desires in
life is to build relationships. I have those
relationships and could not be more thankful. The Bible says that there is no
greater love than to lay down your life for someone. I would definitely lay
down my life for my family and friends without hesitation because I have the
greatest love for them. So, I don’t need to wait for Thanksgiving in order to
be thankful for such a blessing. I love you all so much and cannot wait to see
you all soon!
