Jill Johnson
By JILL JOHNSON
With today being Thanksgiving I am reflecting on some of the top things I am most thankful for. There are so many things that come to my mind when I think of being thankful. The definition of thankful is "expressing gratitude" but thankful can also mean "being conscious of benefits received."
One of the things I am most thankful for is that God sent his son Jesus to die for my sins so that I might be forgiven. Also, because of my relationship with God, I am able to know that no matter what this life throws my way, God will never leave me.
Here are some of my favorite thankful items.
First I am thankful for "Heartfelt Words." If you read your Bible, it is full of the words of not only Jesus but the words of others. To me, written words are words that stick in my brain and my heart. They cause me to think and ponder what the words are saying, the context, and the application to my life.
I love written words. I love the words in my Bible, but I also love letters, notes, lyrics to songs, and so much more. I think when you "see" the written words they have a tendency to seep into your heart and stick with you. You recall them and think about them. They have the ability to lift you up and make you feel loved. They also have the ability to hurt and harm if we are not careful. Words are powerful. I am thankful for the heartfelt words that I encounter that lift me up and change my life. I pray I can always be conscious of using my heartfelt words wisely.
Another thing I am thankful for is a place to call home. Home is a safe place where you feel loved and protected. Over the years the places I have called home have looked so very different. When we first got married, we lived in an apartment for the first year. Over the next ten years of our marriage, we lived in some really "different" places. We lived in a garage apartment, two different houses in Georgia with NO air conditioning, a house with floor heaters which made having small children interesting, and a 900-square-foot house with three children under the age of 4. Let's just say that we have some stories to tell about places we have lived.
Looking back, the funny thing is that when we were living in those locations, we were happy and content. It was our home and we were just happy and proud to be a family and be together. It doesn't matter what type of house you have, how big it is, how beautifully you have it decorated. What does matter is what happens inside your home. The point is, our home is a place where there is love. Our home is a place where memories are made. Our home is a place of safety. No matter what type of home you have you can make yours one of love, safety, and wonderful memories. I am so thankful for my home and all who live within it. I pray that they all feel loved, safe, and valued.
I am also so thankful that I know I have a promise of a heavenly home when this life is over. That home is heaven, and it is so much better than any home I could ever imagine here on earth. In my heavenly home, I will be in the presence of God. This world is not our home but we can look forward to our heavenly home to spend eternity with God.
I am thankful for my family, my friends, my health, and so many other things. But the two I have mentioned above are the ones on my mind this Thanksgiving. If someone had not told me about God, I would never have read the written word of God, the Bible. I would not have those heartfelt words to guide my life. The song lyrics I hear would not mean as much to me. The notes and letters from others would not have a special place in my heart. Knowing God and His Word is what makes every spoken or read word worthwhile.
If I didn't read the heartfelt words of God, I would not know about the heavenly home that He has prepared for me in eternity. I am so thankful that someone cared enough back when I was 18 to share the love of God with me.
My prayer this Thanksgiving is that you know the love of God and the promise of heaven. I pray we never forget the sacrifice that was made for our sins to be forgiven. There is so much to give thanks for. Look around. Read your Bible. Write a note. Compliment a stranger. Share the love of God with someone else. Let's show others why we are thankful! Psalms 107:1 "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever."
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
