Faith Friday: Being Thankful

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Happy Faith Friday y'all! I apologize for the later than usual post but I've had a day full of unexpected occurrences so being able to sit down and write this up kept getting pushed back. Today I wanted to share a reflection on something that God placed in my heart last night. But first, I think you'll need some background information. 
Without going into too much detail, I wanted to share an event in my life that really changed me and challenged me to seek God's comfort and love. When I was 8 years old my mom was diagnosed with two kinds of cancer. She was a single mom at the time and her and I had always been besties. Needless to say, even at that age, it was a tough time. I didn't understand the situation well at the time and it was hard to see my mom go through such a drastic transformation. I remember one of the most painful moments was being told I couldn't hug her when she was in the hospital because they couldn't risk having her get any infections. I was heartbroken. I wasn't able to hug my best friend, my mom, the one who was always there with me. It was through this unthinkable circumstance that my mom and I found the Lord and I can't be more thankful to Him for just being there. 
Back then I remember thinking, "God if you love me and my mom, please heal her!" I didn't want anything else. Two years later my mom was free of cancer and I had her back. Looking back now I just think, Lord with what purpose did you give her a second chance - and for what reason did you spare me from being left alone? There can only be one reason for this - God wanted me to glorify Him for keeping me safe through that storm the rest of my life and making my life be all about Him. God doesn't need my praise, He's got a million angels doing a pretty great job already. But, He wants it! And I will gladly tell the world that He died for me and has never left my side. He's given me the gift of life and the gift of being able to share it with the people I love so incredibly much. Praise is our acknowledgement that we can't do it our own, we need Him!
I was reflecting on this last night and just going through all the little things He has done since then, and even before then, that have been such amazing blessings. Starting off with the most basic fact that I have a roof over my head, food on the table and I have the right to an education. So many people don't even have that. He's given me air in my lungs, the capacity to see all that He created. These are basic, but the most fundamental. So much of our lives we spend thinking that we need more to be happy but if you only had Christ and you acknowledged his presence, you would be just fine! But He is so gracious that He has offered us the opportunities to have so much more. What does He want in return? For you to love Him and other people. 
We've lost our sense of gratitude. We take things as a given. As if we deserve it. Sorry to break to you, but you don't deserve any of it! He saved you from your sins by grace - a gift that was freely given to you! That alone just starts to open up a whole box of things you should be thankful for. If you slow down and open your eyes to what you get to enjoy every single second, you would be surprised at all that you miss. One of the things I give thanks to God for is being able to see Him in other people. No, I haven't seen Him yet but in a sense, I have. I see him in peoples smiles, in a sincere hello, in someones laughter. He's everywhere and for that I just say "thanks"!
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever" - Psalm 136:1
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" - Colossians 3:17
"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offs to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe" - Hebrews 12:28
Maybe you haven't been through a similar situation to me, maybe you've been through something worse. Give thanks! He is good, in all circumstances! Like Hebrews says, you have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Remember that the war is already won! Christ fought for you and he won - you need not fear anything. Thanks him for each morning, for your eyelashes, for the rhythm of your heartbeat, for the sky, for everything that seems insignificant to you. You only have those things because He has been good to you. 
I love you all, even though I don't know you. Because Christ loves me so I love you! Let's be filled with gratitude!