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Take some time to be thankful today.

I have gained perspective as I’ve grown older. It’s an inevitable consequence of going through the school of life. Having perspective is one of the unsung perks that comes with age: the ability to see things from a different viewpoint. When I was in my 20s, I think I had tunnel vision. It was difficult to approach things from more than one angle. But now, with age and experience, I see things differently. Today, thanks to perspective, I choose to be thankful.

Losses that create a ripple effect

Death has visited our family twice this year (2024). First, almost a year ago, when our family lost its patriarch, my father-in-law. While it was a terrible moment, it was awesome at the same time. My husband’s father loved Jesus, and he passed that love on to the rest of the family. We are thankful. He loved Jesus, his family, and the Texas Longhorns. His memorial was an amazing tribute to a life well lived. But the family still misses him. Grief takes time.

Some months later, my own father passed away after a long and debilitating illness. It’s easy to say that it was best, for someone in the situation that he was in (immobile and non-verbal) to pass on into Jesus’ arms. Indeed, I agree with that sentiment. However, the sting of his passing, while expected, remains. I am consoled by the fact that he, too, loved the Lord. He has entered into a place of perfect joy.

Losses such as these leave a ripple effect on the rest of our lives.

Time to be thankful on an anniversary of grief

This year also marked the 10th anniversary of my brother Matthew’s death. And still, I am taking time to be thankful. I’m thankful for the times we shared, for the joy he brought to my parents (he was third-born and the only son), and for the memories I have that now make me smile. There was a time when those memories brought more tears than smiles. But as the years have passed, added to the tears are smiles.

10,000-foot vantage point

I feel the sting these days of his death a bit more than usual, as our recent experiences with losing loved ones brings Matthew’s memory front and center. He died unexpectedly and he died young. Before Matthew was admitted to the hospital, we had no idea he was as sick as he was. He soldiered on without telling anyone he was ill. Naturally, I was shattered for a while. But I hid myself in Jesus, and He gave me the grace to pick myself up and carry on. I had to keep going because our daughter Amanda’s wedding was just two weeks after Matthew’s death. But God gave me the strength to enjoy her wedding. I was grateful to not only get through those weeks but also to understand how precious life is. This was a time in my life when bitter mixed with sweet.

Take time to choose to be thankful. Thanksgiving is a powerful force that, in itself, gives an amazing perspective. Experience helps us to have a 10,000-foot vantage point, but being thankful brings us even higher than experience. Relationships aren’t perfect, our shoes wear out, and most of us can all use a bit more money than what we have. Being thankful for what we already have helps us take our eyes off of what we don’t have. God will take care of the things we need when we care for what we already have.