Thank you…

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:3-6

On this Thanksgiving eve, I just want to take a minute and thank each and every one of you. When I started this little journey two years ago, I never dreamed where it would take me. I didn’t know what God was doing; I only knew that I loved to write and felt I had a story to tell.

Each and every day, I thank my God for the blessing of having you in my life. I am amazed and overwhelmed at the love and support that I receive from you. I am blessed that you pour out your hearts to me. I am humbled that you would ask me, a complete stranger, to enter your world and walk with you through this often difficult journey called life.

You have opened your lives to me and allowed me to enter into some of your deepest and most painful moments. You have shared your moments of joy. You have truly become my friends, my companions through this adventure.

My life is richer, my faith is stronger, because of you.

I want you to know that I pray for you. I pray for you as a group. For those who reach out to me individually, I lift you to the Father by name. My heart aches with you. I long to reach out and hug you, to sit with you and allow you to cry on my shoulder.

I want you to know that you matter to me. You are important! You are loved. Maybe in the midst of your painful trials you feel like no one cares, as if no one loves you. It is simply not true because I love you and the Father loves you more than either of us could ever imagine.

I want you to know that there are brighter days ahead. If you are walking through the struggles of this life, God sees and he hears your prayers. He is working behind the scenes to prepare an amazing future for you. He doesn’t want you to survive; he wants you to thrive! He wants you to live the abundant life that Jesus came to give each of us!

I want you to know that you are special. You are God’s chosen child, adopted into his family. You are the apple of his eye. You are a royal priesthood. You are a masterpiece, chosen by God to do good works that he has ordained for you before time began. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are a princess (or prince) in his eyes!

I want you to know that God can and will do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ever ask or imagine through his mighty power. And, that power is at work in you and in me! His strength shines brightest through our weaknesses. When your life is falling apart, it is the perfect opportunity for God to step in and do something only he can do.

I want you to know that the trials of this life—although painful—are the stepping stone to building a faith that moves mountains in you. It’s through walking through the wilderness that we see the condition of our hearts. It’s through wrestling with God that we begin to understand that he is our personal God. It’s through the pain of this life that we actually get to know the heart of our father as he refines us in the fire.

I want you to know that even when we can’t understand what God is doing, we can trust his heart. His character is impeccable! He is always faithful, always true. He is always there, working—even when he seems silent. When we can’t see the future clearly, we can grab his hand and walk so closely to him that he leads us into the amazing future he has planned for us. He’s the perfect guide.

I want you to know that when we face the injustices of this life, he can make our righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of our cause like the noonday sun. He brings the deeds done in darkness to light. He is our eternal defender, always ready to step in in the most unexpected ways.

We are fellow sojourners in this life. We travel the road together, seeking to walk in obedience to our Savior. We walk imperfectly. But we do not walk alone. I am so thankful to be walking with each of you.

Thank you for joining me. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for being my friend, for being an encouragement to me.

I love each of you, and I pray that you have a blessed Thanksgiving!