Thankful

"Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise."
~George Herbert

How many times do I only want to be thankful when it is convenient for us? Am I only willing to be thankful when I get my own way? Shamefully I have to say I am thankful only when it is convenient.

Too many times I am angry and unsatisfied with Tim when we do not see eye-to-eye and often I am upset with my children when they do not listen. But during this Thanksgiving day and throughout the holidays I am often reminded of how thankful I am to have these three men in my life and it makes me sad to think of the number of times I complain about something to do with them when it seems inconvenient to me.

Tim is my strength. He has a giving heart and he is very loving. Too many times I do not give him credit when he does something special or "out of the norm" because I am caught up in my own human skin wondering why people are not noticing everything I do.

Matthew and Benjamin are such bright, vibrant boys. They are both intelligent and intuitive. They can always say the right thing at the right time if I choose to listen to them. They are always there with a well-placed hug or a random "I love you mom!"

So today, this day of Thanksgiving, I am thankful to have such wonderful men in my life. I pray that I will choose to acknowledge and recognize the efforts they put forth and be more loving towards them.

I am thankful for these blessings that I do not deserve!

Comfort

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2

This week I have found myself thinking about comfort a lot. I have been able to be a source of comfort for my children a lot this week; between illness and uncertainty and feeling overwhelmed, I have been there. Even when Benjamin is mad and upset (and kicking and screaming) that it is naptime he clings to me and buries his head into my shoulder as we walk to his room. Even when Matthew feels overwhelmed because he has a doctor appointment which may result in bloodwork (which means a sharp needle that he wants nothing to do with), he can snuggle up next to me and find solace while he waits to find out what the doctor wants to do next. That I can be a source of peace and assurance for my children is a comfort to me.

Comfort comes in many shapes and sizes but as I have thought about comfort so much I am reminded of the greatest comfort of all. God. Just as I am able to be there for my children, He is there for all of us. He is there when I am unsure or feeling lost and out-of-control. He is with us when we are at our best and when we are at our worst, loving us despite it all.

I know this was not a long post but I will leave you with part of one of the hymns we sang at church this morning which I think sums it all up. When we are down and in need of comfort, look to God because you can trust that He is there for you.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
~excerpt from 'Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus