{God’s gifts to us}
A God who set you apart in your mother’s womb. A God of love, and forgiveness, and second chances. A Creator, the one that sculpted the earth and stars, the same one that placed every freckle on your face one by one. In just this, there are a billion reasons to be thankful. But because He is good, He provides hundreds more.
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of my favorite time of year. Between November and January, I find joy in family and friends being closer than usual, holiday lights, good food, good company, and the countdown to not only Christmas, but New Years, and many family birthdays, including my own. I tend to get lost in the feelings that surround the holidays, and lose sight of the important themes of the season. So today’s post is not only a reminder for my readers, but for me too.
Though I wish I could focus on everything our Creator has blessed me with, I don’t have enough minutes in my lifetime to do so. However, this year’s Thanksgiving is one I will be spending giving thanks to our Creator for some of the most important blessings in my young life:
Relationship
The one thing most important to our God, the thing that exceeds everything else. Something so important that he gifts it to us in many ways throughout our lives, not only with him, but with those around us.
Our relationships are a gift that God focuses heavily on in the bible; the outlet through which love flows, our Creator values friendship, romantic relationship, and the relationship shared between parents and their children. It amazes me that a God so big, one that hung the stars and decorated the earth with so many beautiful beings, takes the time to gift love to His children. But he does, in so many forms. And it gets better than that.
Not only does God bless us with the people to love on, he shows us how to do it.
The bible is God’s love letter to us, one full of poetry and heartache and triumph. In His word we find an abundance of verses that show us how to build a Godly relationship with those around us — He is a God of love, after all. And not only is He our creator, but He is our teacher, the one who guides us through learning how to love with as little damage as possible. It’s astounding the way he can kindle relationships. Our relationships are God’s gifts to us, and for this, I couldn’t be more thankful.
Art
This one may not be as relatable to everyone, but even if you aren’t an artist, it is still easy to find beauty in the world around you.
My art is something I hold dearest to my heart; I was crafted in the image of God, and because of this, I have no doubt that He is a creative, held captive at times by the ideas constantly plaguing the mind. I have spent moments feeling appalled my own creation, and moments disappointed in myself from the words that have spilled from my soul, but I realize now that He only placed me in this position of power because He was willing to work with my mess; artists and creatives are just as valid in their careers and paths as the rest of the world, and He has shown me that. After reading Psalms in the bible, I too have found peace in being a poet. I am thankful for the blessing it is, to be able to share my soul in such a beautiful manner.
Identity
Possibly the greatest realization I made this year, is the one where I learned who I am, and realized who created me.
I am convinced that no girl, or no one at all, really, knows who they truly are as a teenager. I was LOST. And I mean, lost. The teenage years are nearly impossible to stumble through in today’s world, and I for sure did not come out without scratches and bruises. However, this year, as I began cyber school, exiting the traditional high school environment and diving headfirst into my art, I found who I truly was. And I realized how beautiful that girl is.
I’m not saying that I don’t have my share of off days. I may serve the king of the universe, but I still am human. I stumble and fall back into old ways, and I definitely do not feel like conquering the world every day of the week. But I know I am in God’s eyes, and I’m confident in this identity. And for this, I cannot be more thankful.
I’m wishing everyone the happiest of Thanksgivings this year, and a beautiful holiday season. I am thankful for each and every person who takes the time to read not only these blogs, but my work on every outlet. Happy holidays.