Today in the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving—a holiday where families get together all across America to give thanks for the good things in their lives. So as I reflect on my life today, here are the top 5 things I am most thankful for…
#1 Jesus
That might sound to some like the trite Christian answer, but I really am serious. I still remember the day at 16 years old where Jesus ceased to be a religious figure and became my saviour. I am 36 years old today, and he continues to be the most treasured thing in my life.
I am so thankful for Jesus—my God who became flesh, lived the righteous life I should have lived, suffered and died for my sin, and rose from death to give me hope for a future resurrection.
#2 My wife
Day in and day out my beautiful wife gives herself to care for our family in a way that makes me thankful for her more than anyone else. Thank you Megan—for how you love us all selflessly, and serve us every day. I love you and thank God for you.
#3 My children
Before we had our first child I really had no idea how strong a father’s love could feel. My three little girls bring me constant joy, and I so enjoy striving along with Megan to provide for them a good foundation for their future life—a foundation of love in which Jesus is the cornerstone.
#4 Our families
I am so thankful for our families, especially our parents who have given of themselves to us time-after-time without asking for anything in return—except that we live our lives for Jesus. The last few years would have been especially difficult without them.
#5 My health
And finally, I am so thankful for my health. Exactly one week ago today I had back surgery for a ruptured disc in my spine that was causing unbearable pain. I cannot express how thankful I am today to be able to sit here typing pain free. I hope never to take good health for granted again and to treat this body of mine with more respect—to steward it better.
So there you have it—the things I am most thankful for today.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
A quick update—at about 8pm last night my eldest daughter (7 years old) came downstairs sobbing at the thought of leaving her home. I suspect this is the first of many such moments.
I cuddled her for a while and let her cry.
Sometimes as fathers we need to preach the Word to our children. Sometimes we just need to cuddle them and let them cry.
This weekend we broke the news to the children that we will be leaving the only home they have ever known, and heading back to England. To be honest I had no idea how they would react to the news, but had little faith that it would be positive. Given they are all girls, I figured it would be somewhere on a sliding emotional scale between sad and utterly devastating—I was preparing myself for tears.
For our eldest daughter (now 7 years old), I had hoped that God would appear to her in a miraculous dream telling her where we were going and somehow let me off the hook. But alas no. I knew all along it would be my privilege and responsibility to lead my family into the purposes of God for us. In God’s economy, it’s all part of his leadership training.
So I did really what I only know how to do—I preached the word of God to them.
I took them to the scriptures, and I showed them in John’s gospel that after the resurrection Jesus appeared to the disciples and said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” I explained to them that God sent Jesus into the world to show us that he was the way to the Father—and that Jesus is sending us into the world to do the same.
I told them that Jesus sent mummy and daddy to America because he wanted people to know him. I told them about people at Harbor who had given their lives to Jesus since we had come here. I told them that Jesus had sent them to their schools, and to their friends, for the same reason. And I told them that now Jesus was sending us back to England, because there were more people he wanted to know and love. And then I placed my hands on their heads and prayed for them, “Peace be with you.”
And amazingly they were all okay with the news. No tears.
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