Thanks

The summer has come and gone, although on occasion a summer-type day tries to slip into the autumn schedule.  This is the time of year where the fall colors begin to creep into the trees and the displays around us make our jaw drop in awe; here in southern Ohio we definitely get to experience some gorgeous beauty on our rolling hillsides.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that it was May and I was with my youngest grandkids as Aubri finished her first year of preschool.  Kristyn and I were with the kids and they were praying as they started their day.  Kristyn asked Owen what he wanted to pray and he said, “Thank You.” That was it. He just had a couple of things he wanted to thank Jesus for.  Aubri’s prayer followed suit and consisted of several ‘thank you’ sentences.  I was reminded of how simple a prayer can be and how powerful those two words are.  I wonder if God gets as much joy out of hearing my ‘thank-you’ prayers as I got hearing Aubri and Owen’s.

In the middle of the summer we were blessed with another grandson; a healthy Levi Paul Franklin VanBuskirk who is named after two of his great-grandfathers!  I thought I’d simply burst with joy as he made his entrance into this world and immediately brought a smile to every face in the room.  Another ‘thank you’ prayer was said.

My parents have remained healthy through the summer and that’s a big ‘thank you’.  On the hottest day of the summer my family showed up to help me do some things around the house I couldn’t do on my own.  They stained, planted, cleaned, sprayed, chopped, repaired and renovated.  I said ‘thank you’ prayers for days!   One of my grandsons started kindergarten, a granddaughter started high school and a nephew started college.  My children are all well and blessed. I’ve spent time enjoying my family.  Kids Camp was good, our intercessory prayer trip to Washington, D.C. was great and I’ve had plenty of reasons to smile all summer long.  Those things all translate ‘thank-you’ in my book.

Today I said some very special thank you prayers.  I spent some time thanking God for Eric on this, his 61^st birthday. I am grateful for the privilege of being his wife and sharing life with him.  I’m grateful to have had him as my pastor, being able to learn much from him.  I’m thankful for all the laughter and teasing we shared, for the children we were blessed with, for the times we said ‘thank-you’ prayers together.  I’m glad he taught me how to be strong when times were tough.  I’m appreciative for the way he believed in me and encouraged me to reach further, to have faith.

Saying ‘thank you’ has not always been easy the past four+ years.  However, thanks to a husband who believed the Word, I know the right thing to do is give thanks in everything (I Thessalonians 5:18) so I have done my best to look at the things I have to be thankful for.  I have been challenged in many ways but there have always been reasons to be thankful.  Even though the leaves are dying they are beautiful and bring us joy in the process.  God does work everything to our good (Romans 8:28).

So, as we spend another special day without Eric and as we approach the holiday season without his smile and surprises, we will focus on the reasons we have to be thankful and spend time saying as many ‘thank you’ prayers as we can.  The biggest ‘thank you’ of all is for God’s never-ending love and His offer to spend eternity with Him.  I wonder what kind of birthday parties they have in heaven.  Enjoy it, Handsome; you are still much loved!

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I Thessalonians 5:18