It is officially the first day of November…which is the month of giving Thanks, the National Novel writing month, Peanut Butter Lovers month, International Drum month, Model Railroad month…the bizarre and unique holidays just keep going and going, but that is what makes life a little more interesting, right? Whatever you do this November…enjoy it. Make the most of it.

What are you going to do with your November? Eat peanut butter every day!! Buy a model train, write a novel…Are you going to begin again to help your family find what they are truly grateful for? Are you going to plan weeks of preparing the perfect feast? Are you going to just say thank you?

All those things are wonderful, but I challenge you to look at this November and see the gifts of grace, the moments that you didn’t expect this year that turned out to be a gift. The moments where you learned from something hard & didn’t necessarily ask for the lesson. The moments of learning and challenge and growth and give thanks for those moments. 

This makes me think of a great quote from the movie Evan Almighty: here is the premise. Evan’s wife is at a coffee shop concerned that her husband has lost his mind because he is building an ARK. She has packed up her kids and left him. God finds her alone in a coffee shop and this is what he says…Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?

Think about that!! Earlier in the movie the mother had prayed that her family would be closer. God didn’t zap the family with feelings of togetherness, he gave them an opportunity to work on something together, to believe in one another—no matter what!! 

What are you grateful for? only the good things? Maybe look at the tough moments this year and begin to see the good that came from them. 

My husband lost his job earlier this year & it took him a good six months to find another opportunity. While we were in the middle of the job searching trenches, we took the summer & enjoyed it!! We enjoyed all the time we could be together with the faith that something would be around the corner. We were grateful that we can look back on that time and be grateful we had the time we did. 

Sometimes we need to look at the things we don’t “get” and understand we are receiving what we truly “need.” 

I am not saying to forget the gratitude for all that is good in your life, I am just suggesting that you also look at the moments that made you step back, that took you by surprise, that made you grow a little & say thank you. 

Happy November 1.