Well, it's finally here! Day 100.
(To be fair, I should have probably finished a few weeks ago, but skipped some days for many reasons.)
This exercise, to thank God daily for His good gifts, to share that with friends and family, has been really encouraging and challenging. I began this because I was despairing and struggling to heal and I wanted to seek out ways to praise and thank God for each day. He has provided for me in abundance and I am so thankful for His goodness and mercy to me, and that I get to proclaim that to the world!! What a delight.
My final day really should have been this past Sunday.
On Sunday, I was...
...thanking God for a wonderful weekend camping with friends. It truly was such a delight to rest, enjoy the beautiful sunshine, kayak, swim and laugh with friends. I am so glad for the joy, the laughter, the good conversation, the reflecting on God's goodness, and all of the yummy s'mores we had. I definitely am SUPER sunburned and took several naps.
...rejoicing and weeping. I was so thankful to be reunited with my IDC family after 3 weeks away. It was such a delight to worship God alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am so thankful that after 3 years, that IDC has become my family and being with them, worshipping together, is home.
...celebrating Liana's engagement!! My sweet friend and co-worker got engaged over the weekend! I was so happy to be able to celebrate with her on Sunday by embracing the awkward of being with people I had never met and surprising her with an engagement party. I absolutely love Liana and am so thankful that God has given us such a sweet friendship over the last year and a half. I'm looking forward to all that God has for Liana and Tyler and the honor of getting to support and encourage them as they take these next steps toward marriage.
...saying goodbye to Lauren and Jake! Here's another bittersweet moment. The Burnettes are moving to Canada! On Sunday evening, my old small group got together and reflected over the last three years and how the Lord has grown and changed us, but mostly we enjoyed one another's company and were happy to be together, enjoying the evening. I am beyond thankful for this small group of people. They are my family and I was so overjoyed to spend the evening with them, laughing, and talking and hugging and going from being so thankful to so sad and everything in between. This truly is the ending of an era, but what a gift it has been! I could speak at greater length and in more detail, but I am truly just satisfied with the blessing of the rich, deep friendships God has formed between us. These people are my family.
Tonight as I write this, I am so thankful. I am truly bursting with the joy of the blessing of time spent with people I love. I am thankful that God has given me so many people to love and care for, and to be loved by. He is so good to me. He has blessed me in abundance. Tonight I feel hopeful, I feel strong, I feel healed, I feel loved, and I must resist the temptation in my mind to return to the thoughts that eat away at the joy I have in Christ. I must seek to satisfy my heart's desires by submitting them to Christ and asking that by His Spirit that my will would be transformed to be like the Father's.
So while the days of thankfulness have officially ended, I am grateful to the Father and hope to cultivate thankfulness for every day still.
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