Thankfulness

November seems to be a bittersweet month for me. For one thing, it is sad because it signals the end of my favorite season - autumn. The glorious colors of the trees are fading, and the weather turns cold and blustery. This month also reminds me that another year is almost gone, and the time has gone so fast. I ask myself: what progress have I made this year? Usually, I struggle to answer that question to my satisfaction. Have I given sacrificially to those around me? Have I taken every opportunity to love the Lord my God and grow in my relationship with Him? Have I shown unconditional love to my family? Many times the answer to these is no, so then I have to examine the reasons why and deal with those before God.

As depressing as it can be to go through this question-answer process and stare my weaknesses and failures in the face, in the end I am grateful for it because there is no other way to break out of my own selfish bubble and live as I should. The process also brings me face-to-face with the unending grace and mercy of my God. So, I can also say that November is a wonderful time of year because it reminds me to take time to proclaim my thankfulness for who God is, what He has done in my life and the promises He gives for tomorrow.

With the Thanksgiving celebration just a few weeks away, I want to make a conscious effort to have an attitude of thankfulness every day. Today, I am most thankful for life: the life I am living now is a beautiful gift from God, and He has given it to me abundantly; but also, I am thankful that He has given me the guarantee of eternal life in His presence. I'm not worthy to receive anything from God, but because of His great love for me, He chose to rescue me from death. Amazingly, He has chosen to walk by my side through this life and longs for me to acknowledge Him and live for Him every day. I pray that I will never forget these truths and that slowly but surely they will become reality in my life, evidenced through my words and actions. Then, and only then, will I be able to look back on my days and say "yes" to those questions.

This is what "redeeming the time" is all about: living every day in obedience to the Lord who has saved me.

Stephanie