Saturday, August 30, 2008

"Thank You List" Saturday

Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.  Psalm 105:1

Eight years ago a dear friend of mine from my high school years went home to be with the Lord. She was a delightful person who in spite of being dealt a pretty rough hand in life managed to be one of the most authentically positive people I knew (a truly unique find during my teen years).

She spent her final years battling a rare and painful disease.  I remember praying as I drove to visit her in the hospital, asking God to help me be an encouragement to my friend.  I also remember crying as I drove home because she ended up blessing me.

(Are you confused by the post title?  Hang on, I'm getting there.)

At her funeral my friend's family included an insert with the program.  It was a copy of a portion of my friend's "thank you" list.  Every day, in spite of the pain, she wrote down something she was thankful for.  The list included the big stuff like God's presence and the love of her family as well as the little things that brought her happy moments like chocolate chip cookies and People magazine.

I've been thinking about my friend a lot lately and have come up with a way to honor her memory.  Every Saturday on this blog will be "Thank You List" Saturday where I'm going to post about at least one of the blessings (both big and small) God has given me.  I'd love to hear about your blessings so please, play along at home.

Now, for our first installment of "Thank You List" Saturday:

I am thankful for...
The memory of a friend whose life was cut way too short by human standards, but by honoring Jesus during her earthly life continues to be a blessing while she's lives her eternal one.  

And, like her, I'm also thankful for chocolate chip cookies and People magazine.

5 comments:

Tracy said...

Wow, what a great idea!! I think that we all need to take time and reflect on all the ways we are blessed! But it's so easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of life and forget. Scheduling a specific day each week (kinda like laundry and toilet scrubbing) makes us take the time to be thankful!!!

oneblessedmamma said...

I kept at Thankful journal for a while. I read something a long time ago that issued the challenge, "If you woke up tomorrow WITHOUT all the things you did not give thanks for today, what would you have?" Wow! That stopped me in my tracks. It really helped me to see my blessings, big and small, the obvious ones and the ones I take for granted.

I like your idea to do it on one day. There is a similar blog theme called Thankful Thursdays where you list what you are thinkful for.

I'm thankful for you and your sisters. You guys rock, and are all so much fun to be around. I should probably throw you parents in there too. You have the BEST parents! Think they'd adopt me?

Tiffany said...

Good idea! I'll look forward to your thankful posts. I'm thankful for a financially smart and frugal husband. In this terrible economy, choices we (he) made long ago are keeping us stable and secure.

Steph C. said...

What a beautiful post! Small one: I am thankful for finding a new, funny and inspiring blog! :)
Big one: God's neverending faithfulness in the face of my neverending failure!

Lori said...

Thanks for the comments guys! I love hearing what God's been doing in everyone's lives!

 
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