In Everything Give Thanks

With the Thanksgiving holiday just days away, there could not be a better time to count all of the many blessings in my life. I am one blessed girl, & deep down I know it. I could rattle off hundreds & hundreds of things in my life that I have to be thankful for, & the list would go on for days & days. I know that I have MUCH to be thankful for, & that I am blessed beyond measure. But if I were to be real honest with you right now, I would have to admit that I haven't had a real thankful heart lately. In fact, I have been downright UNthankful lately.

Instead of focusing my attention on all of the many blessings in my life, I have spent much of my energy griping, complaining, & grumbling about the things & situations in my life that I find to be less than perfect. Over the past couple of days it has hit me like a ton of bricks that during this whole Thanksgiving season, I have really missed the boat. So, instead of making the typical list of all of the things I have to be thankful for in my life, I am going to make a list & be thankful for even the less than perfect things in my life.


So here goes...


1) Our house. We are bursting at the seams! Who knew that adding one little baby to the mix would make the closets overflow, the attic fill up, & the storage space under the stairs become jam-packed?! It's a tight fit, & lately I have let it drive me nuts. I find myself wishing my days away on things like a pantry, a walk in closet, & a place for all of my crafts & sewing. I haven't taken the time to stop for a moment & be thankful for all that I have in this house. It's not just a house, afterall- it's our home. We have made it ours throughout the years. So many of our precious moments as a family have taken place in this home, & honestly, the day I have to pack up & leave this home will be a hard one for me. I haven't taken a moment to realize that some people {even people I know personally} are losing their jobs & having to give up the place that they call "home". I haven't taken a minute to realize that at the end of the day, there is no where else in the world I would rather be, than right here in my cozy little home, all snuggled up close to my boys. So sure, our house is a little cramped, but I'm thankful for this house.


2) My "after baby" body. It just ain't the same. There are parts of me that are stretchy & saggy that weren't ever stretchy & saggy before. The abs that I once had- the ones I worked my butt off {literally} to get just a year before I got pregnant- they're gone. Loooooong gone. And once in awhile, {like lately} I find myself dwelling on the fact that I don't look the way I used to look. I haven't stopped to remember that those faint little lines on my once flat belly are there because I was given one of the most amazing gifts anyone could ever be blessed with- a life. God allowed me to be a part of the miracle of growing my very own child inside of me. I got to feel every movement, every kick, every hiccup. I have let myself forget that there are many women {even some who are dear to me} who aren't able to experience what I have been able to. Some of these women would give up everything they have to become a mother, to feel the aches & pains of pregnancy, just to one day be able to look into the eyes of their very own child. I haven't taken the time to realize that there isn't anything I wouldn't give up just to have my little Jett Jett in my life- my body included. He is worth every stretch mark & every saggy area on my body. Sure, my tummy isn't as flat, & my boobs aren't as perky, but it just means that I have gotten to experience the gift of being a mommy. I'm thankful for this "after baby" body.


3) Friends. Friendships change. We dissappoint eachother, take eachother for granted, & grow apart sometimes. Here lately, I have let myself become consumed with thinking about the different dynamics in some of my friendships, & I have let myself become angry, sad, confused, & dissappointed. I haven't taken the time to stop & look in front of my face at all of the many blessed friendships I do have. In the process of wallowing, I have forgotten that I am blessed beyond belief with friends that love me, encourage me, lift me up, & would be here for me in a second if I called on them. I have sweet friends that just tonight went out of their way to deliver homemade pumpkin cupcakes & to say hi "just because". Sure, sometimes friendships aren't perfect, because we are all just people, but I'm thankful for my friends.

4) Family. You can't live with em' & you can't live without em'. Let's face it, sometimes families can drive us to the brink of insanity. Well, at least mine can on occasion. Then throw the holiday season in there & all the planning, scheduling, & organizing that goes along with the season & it can be a world war just a brewin'. I haven't taken the time to be thankful for the fact that I have a family to spend the holidays with. I have people in my life that love me enough to work through all of the scheduling, planning & organizing if that means that we can all be together under one roof to spend time with one another. I have let myself forget that our families are the ones that when the whole rest of the world walks out on us, it is them that will rise up & do anything in their power to make sure we are loved, supported, & encouraged. Sure, families are nuts sometimes. We fight, we get on eachother's nerves, we don't always agree, but that's what makes us special & unique. I'm thankful for our families.

The bible says to give thanks in everything. Not just the good things- in everything. I'm pretty sure God says that because when we stop to give thanks, even in our less than desirable situations, we realize that we don't have it near as bad as we'd like to think we do. Even in the worst of situations that may arise in our lives, we can find things to be thankful & feel blessed for. I'm thankful for that! I'm thankful that I finally sorted it out in my own life & that in a couple of days, when our Thanksgiving festivities begin, I can sit around that big table, with all of my family surrounding me, & truly have a heart of thanksgiving.

Let the festivities begin! I'm ready & I'm not letting the Thanksgiving boat ride off without me! Happy Thanksgiving, people! Be thankful!