Thankful Indeed!

 

I feel like the last few weeks on this space have been one giant Thanksgiving post. You have seen the many things I'm so grateful for, including this decade of marriage, our sweet fur babies, new jobs, a new church family, and so much more. 

What can I possibly say today that I haven't said in recent days?

Today I want to say a few words of gratitude for the things that might not be so neatly tied with a bow. 

* As we approach this tenth anniversary and we look back over our wedding pictures, we see those who were part of that day but won't be part of the one to come. Four of our thirty-one wedding guests have passed away in the last ten years, and two of those were Ryan's mom and Allen. This time of year always brings sadness when we think about the holidays that won't include them, but I want to say that I'm thankful for the years we did enjoy with them and the investment they made in each of us. I'm thankful that Ryan and I were together when those losses came so he didn't have to walk the road by himself. I'm thankful for all the valuable lessons we learned about supporting one another through the hardest times. I'm thankful we were married while they were here to enjoy that day with us. 

* When I think back over holidays of years gone by, I sometimes am a bit saddened by relationships that have changed and the people I'm not as close to as I once was. For many years, I struggled with feelings of failure when friendships grew more distant. The Lord has helped me to better understand that some friendships are very much focused on a season of life. He has brought people to me for our mutual benefit in specific times, and then sometimes our lives go in different directions. That doesn't mean it was all for nothing. I am thankful for the many people who have been part of my life at any given time. I am thankful for the ways I was able to bless them and the ways they were able to speak truth into my life. That is worth celebrating, even if it looks different today!

* I am thankful for the parts of our year that have not gone as smoothly and neatly as we imagined or hoped they would. We've had a fair amount of frustration in this year, but I know that even in that, we have grown, stretched, learned, and deepened our faith. That is worth so much! Some of the waiting and frustration are still here, but we're still learning, and for that, I'm grateful.

* God has shown us in fresh ways this year how He is using so much of our pasts to prepare us for our present and future. I am grateful for the experiences we've had in days gone by (some of which felt a bit futile at the time) that prepared us for a future we couldn't even see. I'm sure some of what we're living through today is preparing us for a tomorrow we can't see, and I'm thankful for that, too! 

Today I am so thankful for the good and the hard - and I'm thankful for each of you who come here daily to share life with us. Happy Thanksgiving to each of you from Shafferland!

Love,

Ryan, Bekah, Braeya, and Lexi