Thanksgiving always makes me slow down and take stock of my life. Not just the surface stuff, but the things that sit heavy in my heart, the blessings I didn’t earn, couldn’t create, and definitely didn’t deserve. God has given me far more than my efforts ever justified. Honestly, that’s what grace feels like. It reminds me who He is… and who I am not.
When I reflect on the years, I see the fingerprints of a faithful God in every chapter. Some seasons stretched me, others drained me, and some nearly broke me, but through it all, God kept showing up with blessings that went deeper than the moment. These blessings not only carried me, but also shaped me. These were blessings that I could never have obtained on my own.
Today, on this Thanksgiving Day, my heart is especially grateful for a few of those gifts:
Salvation: genuine salvation
Jesus pulled me out, washed me clean, filled me with His Spirit, and placed His Name on my life. Receiving the Holy Ghost at age eleven and being baptized in Jesus’ Name laid the foundation for everything. I didn’t deserve that kind of mercy, but He gave it anyway.
The truth of the Apostolic message
In a world that changes every five minutes, truth remains the anchor that keeps me grounded. I’m grateful for Deuteronomy 6:4, Acts 2:38, and a doctrine that stays strong when culture falls apart.
My wife
God blessed me with a partner who loves big and never stops giving. She walked with me through storms most never saw. She’s one of the greatest blessings of my life.
My children: grown now, but still my blessings
Watching them navigate life, start families, and hold onto their faith feels like a gift I never take for granted.
My grandsons
Those boys changed something in me. They brought joy that hits differently. Pure. Loud. Messy.
My church family
Calvary Apostolic Church in Westerville is more than just a congregation. It’s a home: a community of people who pray, worship, serve, and show up when it matters.
God’s provision
We went through stressful seasons like financial pressure, career transition, health uncertainty, and the burden of real responsibility. God never abandoned us. He provided in ways that still surprise me.
Memories of those who shaped me
My mother’s love, her faith, her hard work, her Sunday dinners, and her voice singing “The Goodness of God” anchor me. They remind me what’s important and who I want to be.
Peace that makes no sense on paper
Only God can calm a storm without taking it away. Only God can steady a heart that has gone through loss, pressure, and change.
When I contemplate these blessings, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed. This is not because life has been perfect, far from it, but because God has remained faithful through every season. God has remained faithful in the open, in the quiet, and even when I lacked the words to pray.
Today, I’m thankful for every blessing I prayed for… and for every blessing I didn’t deserve. If God never gives me another thing, He’s already given me more than enough.
Happy Thanksgiving. May God’s goodness fill your home, steady your heart, and bring you closer to Him today.
Additional Reading related to thanksgiving
Credits
Credit: OpenAI helped create my article outlines and generate the imagery. Grammarly fixed my writing errors, and QuillBot improves the writing.
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