Practicing Gratitude

It feels VERY early this year, but our Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend!  I guess this is about the earliest it can happen since it's always celebrated on the second Monday in October.  So while it's always fitting to be grateful, it's extremely fitting this particular

Thankful Thursday!

I'm thankful for wonderfully summery weather last weekend.  The temperature got up to 29C/84F on Saturday!!  The normal high in my neck of the woods for this time of year is only 13C/55F.  It was amazing.  We've had a very beautiful September. Sunday wasn't quite as warm, but perfect for a hike with some friends up to one of the highest vantage points in the hills.  The colours, while vibrant, weren't as varied this year as they sometimes are, but it was still an awesome view!  (and good exercise)

I'm thankful harvest is finally over!!  Which means the long days and late nights are over, and The Man will actually be home for more than just a few hours of sleep and breakfast every day.  I'm grateful he's had extra work this farming season, though it's been a bit rough on all of us, but I'm thankful it's given us some clarity about priorities, directions, and decisions.  And I'm very thankful for the safety of all the hired men working on the farm this summer.

But I think what I am most thankful for today is that I can talk to God.  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  (Probably ever since we watched Louie Giglio's INDESCRIBABLE video in church one Sunday a few weeks ago when our scheduled guest speaker had to cancel last-minute.  It's 45 minutes long, but take the time; it's worth it.)

Most times, when you want to talk to whoever's in charge of a company or organization, you get to talk to the lowest of the low ~ the call center.  You might get to talk to a call center supervisor, maybe even a department manager, but you NEVER get to talk to the owner or president of the organization.  It would be very tough for me to get an audience with the premier of our province and virtually impossible to get an appointment with our country's prime minister.  They're too important to listen to me.

But the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings?  To Him, I have a direct line.  He WANTS to talk with me.  That's incredible!

The God who created the heavens, the earth, the stars, the planets, and all the far-flung galaxies in the universe; who created all living, breathing plants, animals, fish, birds, insects, and human beings, shaping and painting them in their mind-boggling myriad variations; the God who created something out of nothing, who breathes life into death...

I can talk directly to Him.

And. He. LISTENS.

THAT blows me away.

Because really, that's kinda the root of EVERYTHING we have to be thankful for, isn't it?

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