Thankful Thursday

I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not only is it centered around family and food, two things I love, but it’s also a time for me to focus on the things I’m thankful for. Now in all seriousness, I am reminded 365 days a year of every single blessing that the good Lord has showered me with. Not just on Thanksgiving. It’s sort of like Mother’s Day. It shouldn’t be just one day of the year, right? I do my best to show my mom how much I love and appreciate her every day.

Being thankful or grateful is something that should be an integral part of our lives on a daily basis. Not just one day a year. Now I don’t know how you do things in your family around the Thanksgiving table, but many families go around and have each person say what they are most grateful for. Most people will say things like, “I’m thankful for family, friends, children, salvation, life, health, etc…” Those are wonderful and I agree 100 percent with each of those. But… (you knew that was coming, right?) I always wished I had more time to say ALL the little things that I’m grateful for too. But that would take up way too much time and the food would get cold. Sort of like asking Grandpa to pray over the meal and he goes on and on and on. Everyone’s heads are bowed, and the aroma of the food on the plates in front of you is causing serious rumblings in your stomach. All you can think about is “when is the amen coming?”

For this little posting today, I just wanted to make a list of all of those random little things that most people take for granted but would be most miserable if they were gone.  Please keep in mind that these are MY realistic, everyday living things that I am so grateful for on a daily basis. Also, they are not in any order of importance. This is just the order that my brain thought of them!

1. Hot running water. (there isn’t a time that I don’t thank the Lord for hot running water, every time I get in the shower or bath. I know that may sound strange, but its true).
2. My coffee bean grinder – Yep! Every morning when I put my Jamaican coffee beans into my grinder and smell the delicious aroma, I say a prayer of thanks.
3. A great mattress – Another weird one? Honestly, I look forward to crawling into my bed every night. I’m glad my late hubby decided to spend a lot of money on a good one. It was the last big investment my late husband and I made before he died, so not only does it give me a great night’s sleep, even after 12 years, but it also has sentimental value.
4. A son-in-law that’s not just a wonderful husband and father to my daughter and grandchildren, but he’s also a great mechanic on the side! He has kept my little red Ford Focus running when I could only pay him with free babysitting until the grandchildren are 18. LOL
5. My college diploma. Truthfully, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t look at that diploma on my wall and feel proud (in a good way) and grateful that the Lord helped me through it all. At 50 it was much more of a challenge than it would have been at 18 or 19. It’s one of those achievements that I am truly thankful for.
6. My car. She’s 15 years old, but for the most part, she’s been fantastic. This was another one of those purchases that were done with my husband about 4 years before he died. And it’s the one thing that still has his name on the title. It’s still in both our names. I just never had the heart to take his name off. After 188,000 miles on her, she’s starting to have a little more problems than usual, but that’s why I’m grateful for #4 (see above).
7. Good music – Oh where would I be without music in my life? It would be a sad sad world without it.
8. Good friends – The ones that love to laugh; the ones that push me to be better; the ones that are a sounding board with no judgment; the ones that I can be completely transparent with; the ones that inspire me; the ones that are in my life forever and the ones that came into it for a season. I love each of you and am so incredibly grateful.
9. Family – the good, the bad, the ugly! Family brings out the best and the worst in a person. I consider myself to have been born into one of the very best. I thank God every day for putting me into the Barker family. My parents packed everything they possibly could into parenting three kids. They taught us to love God; music; three-part harmony; road trips;  history; reading; writing; words; jigsaw puzzles; board games; family dinners; kindness; empathy; compassion; obedience; respect; friendship; how to dress; walk with our heads held high but our hearts humble; the list could go on and on. I am constantly grateful.
10. My children and grandchildren – It’s always such a good feeling to know that your two adult children are not only my children but my friends. I always tell them that if I were to run into them somewhere without knowing who they were, I would like them! I know that sounds odd, but I really love who they have become. I’m not naive enough to believe they turned out so well all because of me. Remember…it takes a village! I worked the whole time they were growing up. They were latch-key kids. Awful right? Don’t judge. We did our best. We were far from perfect as parents, but in spite of our faults, the Lord was there to lead and guide us through the challenges. I’m so proud of them; their spouses and my five adorably delicious grandchildren. Unless you’ve had a grandchild run up to you and give you hugs and say I love you, you wouldn’t understand. I’m always amazed by how much they love me. It’s one of those mysterious delights and gifts from the Lord.
11. My Bible – It’s my strength builder; my comforter; my teacher and my hope.
12. Max Lucado – Now I can just see everyone’s eyebrows rising… I am just truly thankful for his gift of writing. His devotionals over the years have helped me and inspired me each and every day. “Grace for the Moment” is my favorite, and it’s being held together by a rubber band and has writing in the margins and smiley faces on the pages that are my favorite. (It’s the little things, right?)
13. My testimony – I am so thankful that I have a testimony that says, “I was a sinner, saved by grace…” I was raised in a Christian home, but my parents always taught us that we each had to make that choice and decision to accept Jesus into our hearts and live for Him. I made that choice at a young age of 6. I don’t have an “edge of your seat” testimony that shows going from drugs to deliverance, but I still have a story. I was lost but now I’m found; I was blind, but now I see. I needed a savior even while living in the safety of a loving home with Godly parents. We all do. No matter where your circumstances find you; we need Him. He is my hope of seeing a better place one day, where there is no more sickness, death, heartache or sin. Without Him, none of those things on my list would be possible.

The list could go on and on, but for now, I’ll just leave you with these. My heart is full, despite the hardships and difficulties that life throws my way. The things that matter are all good. So this Thanksgiving season, take a moment to think of the things that put a smile on your face and whisper a heartfelt “thank you”.

Thankful beyond measure,

Pam