"Thanks" giving challenge

Well we did it! We pulled off Thankgiving Dinner!

Everything went off without a hitch even considering the turkey was done way before I started "the fixin's". Being ahead of schedule was SO out of character for me..... (remember, I am late for everything) So yeah, I went to baste good ole Tom around 11:30....and I panicked as I saw the popper thingy had already popped. I tried to remain as calm as possible and called my trusty friend Lili, who as always, looked at the glass half full. She lovingly reminded me it was better to have the turkey overdone, then send the whole family to the ER with undercooked poultry. With that, I took the turkey out.....and put the kids to work so that we could get the ball rollin. E worked on the mashed potatoes, N worked on the Pocasett Punch (we decided Pilgrim punch did not honor our newly discovered Native American heritage, the Pocasset Wampanoag tribe, so we changed the name). G and H worked on their appetite.

All in all, it was a great day.....we sat down at 12:45 to eat and had the kitchen cleaned up by two o clock, just in time as the tryptophan kicked in. Josh and I even snuck in an afternoon nap. So a great successful day.....good food, a well needed nap and I was blessed to be able to stay in my "shammies" all day.

So getting to the "thanks" giving challenge......I had prepared the turkey obviously very early, and decided to jump on the computer to poke around a bit. I often check out this amazing blog, Bring the Rain (which I have a button on my sidebar). This blog is written by a very faith filled woman of God, take the time to check it out! (make sure tissues are handy). Anyway, in reference to something that was weighing heavily on her heart......

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus
~1 Thessalonians 5:18

....she encouraged her readers to take part in a challenge to thank God *in* everything, as opposed to *for* everything. You could either post to her blog, write it down and then stash it, burn it or shred it......it was your own private challenge.
(*I just popped over there and the post has since been deleted, with an explanation from Angie)

Anyway.......I realized that it is so true about praising God when everything is great......but it is difficult to praise Him when things are not so great. It's easy to give thanks for all the wonderful things He has blessed us with.......but so difficult, and for many.....impossible.......to thank Him when we have tragedies, disappointments to face and valleys to go through in our lives.

So I decide that I would thank God for a few things that I certainly wouldn't normally think to thank Him for......things such as the early pregnancy losses I have endured, a toxic relationship in my life.......and also the fact that Josh didn't get a bonus this year for Christmas shopping.

Thanking him for the lows? That just doesn't seem even logical. In fact, I don't know how honest I can be with this task.....but just even thinking about what I was going to thank Him for did remind me that God does not make mistakes, He has orchestrated these events/circumstances for a reason and they are all part of His plan for my life. It also reminded me that when I look back on some of the valleys in my life.....I understand why He allowed them to happen. I came out of them learning a lesson, gaining patience/perseverance and became a better person.

So here it goes......taking a deep breath:

Thank you God for the gift of being able to relate to other women who have miscarriages and offer some real heartfelt compassion......Thank you God for placing this troubled person in my life and showing me how I *don't* want to be with the people who matter the most in my life, to force me to seek You when I question why she is the way she is, and also to teach me how to forgive.......and lastly, Thank You Jesus for reminding me (and my children) what Christmas should solely be about, it's about You and that miraculous night......and how gift giving is bonus.

and ps. please forgive me as You know the exact number of hairs on my head and that I am not 100% sincere in this thanksgiving prayer, but 100% sincere in trying to be.

So now, I'll challenge you to this too.....It is not easy, in fact.......it is downright complicated to comprehend. And I am not so sure that I understand it all myself.....but if it gives me a chance to dig deeper into The Truth, then bring it on!

Blessings~
Michelle