“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” Philippians 1:3 ESV
One of the things I am most thankful for this year is you. Yes, you, my dear readers. I am truly grateful for each of you who embraces my vision to share true inspirational stories. For each of you who takes the time to read what I write. Whether you were there cheering me on from the beginning or have joined in along the way. Whether you are part of my circle of family and friends or have stumbled across my blog posts on the internet or facebook, I give you a heartfelt thank you. You encourage me and motivate me to keep writing.
For Thanksgiving this year, I decided to reach out to a few of you to share your thoughts about what you are thankful for. I am sure that each of you have inspiring insights to share, but for the sake of space, I have limited my interviews to four.
My first interview was with a dear friend of mine with whom I taught Sunday school for many years.
Susan Thayer of St. Johnsville, NY, is the mother of three grown children, and the grandmother of a precious granddaughter. She and her husband share a business, CCM Transmission, named for their three children, Caitlin, Carleton, and Mary. Her biggest joy was accepting Jesus into her heart at nine years old, and her greatest passion is teaching young children about Jesus.
“What I am most thankful for,” Susan shared with me in a phone interview, “is what my Savior did for me on the cross. He took my sin debt for me. I am so thankful that He sought me out, that he chose me.”
Susan explained that she has had numerous trials and tribulations in her life, but God has blessed her through them in many ways. She went on to explain that some of her trials were due to multiple car accidents.
“I am blessed and thankful for each one,” she said. “Because they have shaped me into the person that I am today.”
The last one was the worst, and she didn’t know if she was going to survive.
“I am so thankful the Lord saw the needs of this child . . . for physical healing.” Susan also expressed how grateful she is that God spared her so she could continue the work that he has for her—the work of teaching Sunday school to preschoolers.
My next interview was with another dear friend of mine, a former fellow teacher. At one time Bev Petriski of Richfield Springs, NY, was a dairy farmer. She also spent 22 years as a Christian school teacher. She now works as a teaching assistant with special needs students. She is the mother to two grown daughters and a son-in-law.
Bev pointed out that being thankful is something that everyone needs to be. “If you’re not thankful, you end up with an attitude that pulls you down and makes you miserable,” she said. “I have so many things to thank God for that it would take pages to talk about all of them.”
“First and foremost, I am thankful for my relationship with God. I am also grateful for all the people God has put in my path over the years. I am grateful for a loving husband and my girls, as well as for my church and church family. I thank God daily for a good Bible preaching pastor and his family, as well as our church leadership, well grounded in their faith.”
Bev also explained that life has thrown her many curve balls, but she is thankful that God has given her the strength to push through. “I am thankful that God has put me where I am,” she said. “I am thankful for God’s provision and that He gives me a heart for people.” Her final words were, “He has given me a full life!”
My next interview was with my second cousin, Jean Rea, from Lancaster, PA. We have not had the joy of seeing each other often through the years, but we enjoy the bond of a shared heritage—our grandmothers were sisters.
Jean lives with her husband, Doug, and her two cats. She is a graduate of Elizabethtown College, Princeton Seminary, and Rutgers University. She worked as a corporate librarian before becoming disabled.
When I called Jean, she was prepared with a long list of what she is thankful for.
“First on my list is the Trinity,” she said. “And second is that I am thankful for my caretaker husband and for all that he does for me.” Jean is also thankful for the rest of her family—her brother and his wife, her niece and her husband, and their six-year-old twins. And all her cousins on both sides of the family. And, of course, her two cats.
This next one surprised me a bit. Jean is thankful for her disabilities. She suffers from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and persistent back problems. (She has had four back surgeries.) “I’ve learned so much through my disabilities,” she explained, “like patience and taking better care of myself.”
“I’m also thankful for my health,” she added. “Despite my disabilities, I have a strong heart and good lungs.”
Jean concluded by expressing thanks for living in a continuous care community. She and her husband live independently in a cottage, but as their needs progress, they will be able to move to facilities within the community that provide more care.
My final interview was with Lestie Zachary from Horseshoe Bend, AR. Though we have not yet met in person, Lestie and I became good friends through an on-line writer’s group. We bonded over the fact that my parents are from Arkansas, and she had been in Upstate NY for a mission’s trip. Lestie has been married for 37 years and is the mother of five, two of which are married into the family. She is also blessed with eight grandchildren. She works part-time as an administrative assistant for a utility construction company where her husband is a regional director.
“First, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here.” She explained that she came from a good family, but they didn’t have a solid relationship with the Lord early on. “It is through His grace that my family came together in unity.”
“I am also thankful that I have a tremendous family with lots of love,” she said. “That is not something to be taken for granted.”
Lestie went on to explain that she looks around and observes her surroundings each day, looking for even the smallest things to be thankful for. She loves the little unexpected joys and surprises. It could be as simple as a phone call or a text from family members or friends.
“For example, my son called me a few days ago early in the morning when I was getting ready for work just to tell me he loved me. Those things that touch my heart are the things I’m most thankful for.”
Lestie not only enjoys small, surprise blessings from other people, but she loves to be the person who reaches out to others, giving them something to be thankful for. “I try to be the one to make someone’s day. To be the one to say a kind word in passing to a stranger. To offer encouraging words just out of the blue . . .to love on people.”
Lestie closed with this final thought: “My thankfulness comes in my relationships with people and in recognizing the beauty that is all around."
I am so blessed by each testimony. Did you catch the common themes? Thankfulness for God and family. Thankfulness for life situations that we wouldn’t have chosen like disabilities and accidents. Thankfulness for church and friends and small everyday blessings.
If you would like to share what you are thankful for, please leave a message on my contact page. I would love to hear from you.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I pray for God’s richest blessings upon you and your family. And I pray that He will put someone in your life to be an encouragement to you the way you have been to me.
*photo by LeeAnna Tankersley, LT Photography
*background photo by pixabay