Amy's 'momentary trouble'

Almost every culture in the world has held celebrations of thanks for a plentiful harvest. The American Thanksgiving holiday began as a feast of thanksgiving in the early days of the American colonies almost four hundred years ago. In 1620, a boat filled with more than one hundred people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the New World. This religious group had begun to question the beliefs of the Church of England and they wanted to separate from it. The Pilgrims settled in what is now the state of Massachusetts. Their first winter in the New World was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow many crops, and without fresh food, half the colony died from disease. The following spring the Iroquois Indians taught them how to grow corn, a new food for the colonists. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish. In the autumn of 1621, bountiful crops of corn, barley, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists had much to be thankful for, so a feast was planned. They invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists. The colonists had learned how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash dishes from the Indians. To this first Thanksgiving, the Indians had even brought popcorn, but it wasn’t until in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving.
Today, I spent a great deal of time in reflection on the things that I have to be thankful for from this past year and while it’s been very bittersweet, I found that I have much to be thankful for:
1) Family. Amy and I are very blessed with the families that we have. The love and caring they have shown us and continue to show us has sustained us throughout this year.
2) Church and Community. The outpouring of generosity, support and deep concern that we as a family have received, simply goes beyond words to describe. I find it incredible and humbling and it makes me proud to belong to this community.
3) Wife. I am so very thankful that God’s plan for Amy’s life included me. We had twenty years together and while I can not say that every moment was a honeymoon dream, I can say that even through the tough times our love for each other grew. Although our plans were to grow old together and to watch our grandchildren grow up, it was not to be. I consider myself fortunate that I had the time that I did with her and I am richer for it.
4) God. While I list God last here, this is not where I place Him in perspective to my priorities. He prepared a very difficult journey for Amy and I to traverse this past year. I admit that I do have a lot of questions for Him as to why we needed to go through this and why He had to take her at such an young age, but He is good and I know that He will answer in His own time and in the meantime, He has granted me a modicum of peace. I am thankful to God for the blessings He has bestowed upon me and I know that He will continue to watch over the kids and I. I am thankful that He saw to it that Amy had no or relatively no pain in her last couple of days.

PSALM 100:4 - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name!

EPHESIANS 5:20 - Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 - In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

No matter how dark and hopeless the situation may look…give thanks. This is God's will for all of us. Thank Him for the opportunity to see His deliverance. Thank Him for His mercy and grace. Thank Him for His faithfulness. Thank Him for defeating the devil and setting you free in Christ Jesus. Thank Him that Jesus is Lord. Thank Him that your name is written in the lambs book of life! Thank Him for loving you and taking good care of you.

For the love of Amy - V