A Thankful Heart

I never did get around to posting last week, and I did begin to prepare a post detailing or at least listing what I am thankful for. As I've now had more time to marinate over what I could write, I thought back to last Thanksgiving and what I said as I sat at the Hittler's table celebrating Thanksgiving with them, Charlton, Cindy, and Guillaume - and I remember vividly what I said: that I was thankful for the gift of restoration in my life. Furthermore I was thankful for those people in my life who had stood the test of of friendship - of walking with me and my family not only in times of joy, but also in those moments of deep sorrow and grief. After that TG of 06 I started what became a nightly habit, of listing the areas in my life of which I was most thankful for and looking at the character of God and dwelling on who He was/is in my life.

I am haven't exercised that habit for a while -- I am thankful every day, no doubt about that, but I have been remiss in recording the things on a daily basis of which my heart sings praise. I should start up again because being able to look back and see the day to day blessings of my life is something that serves as poignant reminder.

In light of that this year as Thanksgiving is swiftly receding, and Christmas is fast approaching I thankful for:

The people in my life who this year rather than in sorrow, have walked with me in my joy. I am thankful for the family that surrounds me. It is an ecclectic family to be sure, made up of unique individuals. My family is much more than shared DNA, (I was going to write much more than shared blood - but the reality is that my family is made up of shared blood, the shared blood of Jesus Christ that flows through our lives, and acts as that chord that cannot be broken). The Bible speaks of how three chords cannot be easily broken, well if three chords cannot be easily broken, then when you twist in the other chords there is no chance.

I originally began my "What I Am Thankful For" list with people, and my joy, etc...but now the reality is what I most thankful for, and will continually be thankful for is the people in my life -- MY FAMILY.

A family made up of a mum and dad, and then many, many brothers and sisters. I have my Jenkins Family, I have my Hittler Family, I have my Hein Family, I have my smaller TOC Family, and then I have my larger TOC Family, and what I love most about this family of mine, that despite my past inclination to keep it small, it keeps growing, it keeps expanding.

I am thankful for who these people are in my life, I am thankful for their individualities, for the role they play in my life - for some it may go without notice, and for others I do hope that I express the joy that they bring to me in my life.

I love this family. I am very thankful that God in his great sovereingty surrounded me with a such a family - a family who has walked, and who promise to continue to walk with me in both joy and sorrow.