1. I am thankful for my salvation. I can't imagine going through the trials of life without the assurance that this is all temporary and I will get to spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord.
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." - 1 John 5:13
2. I am thankful for my family. Being stationed far from home with almost no Christian friends nearby, it is a huge encouragement to know that my family is praying for me and are only a phone call away when I need someone to talk to. Beyond that, I am so thankful for the time my parents put into raising me. As I am now out of the house and on my own, there is not a day that goes by that I don't face a situation where it just clicks. I understand why my parents did what they did. All of those, "You may not understand now, but when you grow up you will understand why and will appreciate us doing this.", are making sense.
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." - Proverbs 31:28
"Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." - Deuteronomy 5:16
"Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." - Proverbs 23:25-26
3. I am thankful for my friends. My friends have stuck by me in the most challenging times of my life. I have not always been as good of a friend as I should have been but they have never given up on me. For that I am extremely grateful. As we all "grow up" and move ahead with the various plans that God has for us, (careers, marriage, engagement, etc.), it gets harder and harder to stay in contact but no matter how often we communicate I make a point to pray for my friends everyday and I know that my friends do the same for me.
"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24
"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." - Proverbs 17:17
4. I am thankful for the Lord's clear direction. It is so comforting to know that the Lord knows exactly where my life is headed and what is best for me even when I have no idea. If you would have asked me even 6 months ago where my life was headed, I would have with complete confidence given you an answer that would be FAR FAR different than where I am standing today. While these changes in my life and the plans I had have not all been easy, I can say with complete confidence that I am in the center of God's will. While I have at times questioned why things did not go the way I had planned, I am reminded that nowhere in the Bible does God promise to give us direction for the next 20+ years of our life. He gives us one step at a time. I came to realize that I had been praying and asking for the Lord's direction and then looking for direction for the next several years of my life. This led to much disappointment until I realized the Lord was indeed giving me direction, it was just one step at a time. Praise the Lord for truly knowing what is best! Looking back I can see if I would have pushed ahead with MY plans rather than trusting the Lord, even when I didn't understand, I would have made a mess of my life.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9
5. I am thankful for my job. I so thankful to have a steady income with great benefits. Beyond that I truly consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to serve my country and wear a uniform with a title that begins with U.S. I can't imagine having any other job than serving in the military. It is a PERFECT fit for me and while it has its challenges, I love my job. The Lord has richly blessed me in providing my employment in the United States Coast Guard!
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19
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