... prayer...

What a day! God has been so kind today -- thankfully my attitude changed toward the holidays. This time of year is always difficult with dad being gone. Christmas was always so much fun with dad. He would wake me up to the blaring Hallelujah Chorus early in the morning and we'd make breakfast and then open gifts. There was always the normal gifts like the traditional red sweater, some Nixon stuff, a plan ticket to a presidential library, that kind of thing. But, then there was always the gift at the end that I had no idea about. I was always surprised! The gift was something that I had mentioned that I liked or pointed out during the year -- and there it was - in a box for me :)

I feel like the Lord has been encouraging me over the past few days especially. Being 31 and single and not close with my family is a situation that easily allows me to have pity on myself. I want a family of my own and yet there are times that I doubt the Lord has heard my prayers on that matter. And then there are times when I think about the box at Christmas -- there is ALWAYS something that He has in store for me that I have absolutely no clue about. The Lord has been kind and gracious to me this holiday season. I'm humbled to think of the greatest gift that He gave to us... His Son. I know that Jesus felt alone while He walked the earth, He felt fear, and yet He continued to pray.

May this week of Thanksgiving - bring about and encourage you (and me) to reflect on what we have been given.
"Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love for me!" Psalm 66:20