Thankful

This beautiful sunset was one of many that my parents get to experience from their backyard each night. For some reason the sunsets in AZ are so much more vibrant than the ones here! Sunsets and stars are two of my favorite things to view in God's creation and always remind me of His majesty and how big He truly is. That no sunset is ever the same and that there is no end to the vastness of space just speak of His awesomeness!

During Thanksgiving week when we were kids, my mom would have us ponder what we were thankful to God for and to prepare to share that around the Thanksgiving table on Thursday. I loved this tradition and even though I am not at home anymore with this assignment I have begun to ponder on the great blessings of this year and what I am truly thankful for.

But yesterday during church, what the pastor shared directed my heart in another direction. My previous answers at the Thanksgiving dinner table were usually thankfulness for family, friends, good food :), a great college roommate, etc etc. While all great things and things that God should be praised for the pastor had us think more deeply on thankfulness.

He took us to Luke and the story of the ten lepers. He miraculously healed all ten of their horrible disease but only one returned back to fall on his face before Christ and thank Him. Why? This one leper truly knew who Christ was and what He did. This one thankful leper received not only healing to his body, but to his soul as well. It is not until we recognize the horrible/diseased state our heart is in that we can truly be thankful for what Christ has done in our hearts. Once we see our sin we finally see our need for a Savior. And what a loving Savior He is! He will never turn away a broken heart over sin and that is what I am thankful for. He saved me, a sinner, at a young age but I am still learning to be thankful for what He actually did in my heart and my life. I forget often the miracle that was done in my diseased soul and the great and mysterious sacrifice of the cross. This year I hope to thank God for my salvation more and to realize that all the other blessings are really secondary in perspective.  Happy Thanksgiving!