He is

Ahhh I write this knowing that most of you back in the Sates have sat down or on your way to sitting down for an amazing meal hopefully shared with friends and/or family. I can say that for a fleeting moment I envy you. The smells, noise, and especially tastes of Thanksgiving are truly something to bring about the opportunity for joy to take over. For some of you your holiday clan has changed a bit. Maybe you married, engaged, moved, or lost a family member. To all of you I say blessings. To those of you not in the place you usually are for this holiday I say I sit with you. Sometimes we can only long for home and nothing more. To those of you who feel out of place I say blessings.

Blessings are simple. Blessings are companionship, fulfillment, time, mercy, grace, love, and on and on. Blessings are simple. Sometimes I forget my blessings and turn them into an entitlement. I act as though I deserve these blessings, because I am ME.

I work hard, I am entitled to fulfillment. I am a social being and thus am entitled to companionship. I sacrifice my time and therefore am entitled to more of it, as if I am some sort of alchemist. There are days where I catch myself in this type of self-entitlement mood. Then I am convicted.

I came into this world with nothing. Even my name is a blessing from my parents. Still even with my ME attitude blessings are given that I can not claim only receive. You see the difference about being entitled to something and being blessed to receive something is minute in definition, but has serious implications. Entitlement is to be seen as the absolute owner of that thing. Receiving a blessing is to be given something that you have no claim on and actually the one giving it to you is entitled to the whatever it is they are blessing you with. I have almost fully convinced myself that I have nothing entitled to me, but I cannot fully understand what that implicates. I can say I have been blessed beyond my own observation.

I am thankful for each and every one of my family members.

I am thankful for friends that have laughed, cried, walked, ran, hiked, grew-up, and sat in silence with.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a student and each and every class I have sat in good or bad.

I am thankful for the struggles I have faced and the consequences of those.

I am thankful for the time I have been blessed with, and pray I have more, because I feel like I am just getting started.

Most of all I am thankful for the truth of it all that is Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving and may you be blessed by the all encompassing love of Christ!