Thankfulness

Whenever we think about the Thanksgiving holiday, we always go back to the Pilgrims and Indians a few hundred years ago and the feast that they celebrated together after the harvest. Interestingly enough, however, their idea for a Thanksgiving feast is actual a Biblical idea that dates back thousands of years. The Israelites were commanded to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Leviticus 23, and the purpose of this was to "memorialize the journey from Egypt to Canaan" and "to give thanks for the productivity of Canaan." Many historians claim that the Pilgrims actually based their idea for a Thanksgiving celebration on this Biblical festival, and I would have to agree. Even in the midst of over-commercialized "Hallmark Holidays," we must remember that many of our modern holidays actual have very Biblical roots: Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ; Thanksgiving is a modern take on the Feast of Tabernacles; Easter celebrates Christ's resurrection; Valentine's Day was originally based on St. Valentine, an early Christian martyr; and even Mother's Day and Father's Day are loosely based on the fifth commandment ("Honor thy father and thy mother." The term "holiday" itself is also a derivation of the original term "Holy Day." So although it is fun to eat a huge meal, gather with family and friends, and watch the Dallas Cowboys play football on Thanksgiving Day, it's also important to set aside this day as a sacred celebration of the goodness of God.

I have plenty to be thankful for every year, but with all of the changes that have happened in my life this year, this Thanksgiving is particularly meaningful. Here are some of the things I'm thankful for this year:

1. My incredible husband of (almost) four months. It's crazy to think that last year at this time we weren't even engaged -- sure, we knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, but no official plans had been made. When I think back to our relationship a year ago, we were obviously already very much in love, and we had already had a fair share of fights/difficult situations that we had been able to work through together. But oh, the distance we have traveled in just one year! Not only have we had more ups and downs that come with any relationship during the past year, but we have also gotten married, moved across the country, and started new jobs together. Many told us that such huge changes right after our marriage would break us down and make our first year of marriage incredibly difficult, but we can testify that God is faithful and He has made all of these transitions incredibly easy for us and for our relationship. I have also seen my husband grow so much over this last year in his faith, in his role as a Biblical leader, in his maturity and confidence, and in his ability to love me well. Our goal has always been to be deeper in love each year, and I can absolutely say that our love has deepened since last Thanksgiving. And for this I am thankful.

2. My family -- Dad, Mom, Whit, Shawn, Dad Bohler, Mom Bohler, Alix, Luc, and Marc. Although the distance between us can be tough at times as we're spread over thousands of miles and three different time zones, Zach and I are so blessed to have a family who not only loves us unconditionally, but also has supported us through every step of our journey to Oregon, even when I know that (selfishly) they wish we could have found jobs in the Southeast somewhere. :) We will miss being with all of them for this Thanksgiving -- the first one that either of us has ever been apart from our families -- but we know that it will make our Christmas visit even better. We love you guys.

3. Our new friends and jobs in Oregon. Zach and I definitely took an extreme leap of faith in our decision to move to Oregon. We left the comfort of Chicago where we felt "at home" and knew tons of people to move to a tiny town in a state two thousand miles away to take jobs that we knew, without a doubt, would stretch us. Then throw in the fact that we had been married for 11 days when we made the cross-country trek; in some ways, it could have been a recipe for disaster. I remember us even talking about it on our honeymoon, thinking aloud, "Um.. babe... what if we get there and just really don't like it at all? What are we supposed to do then?" We didn't have the answer to that question then, and thankfully, we don't need it now. We are loving our experience here and have been so embraced by the Roseburg, UVC, and Wellspring (our church) community. It hasn't been without obstacles or difficulties, but after three months in our current positions, we are prepared to be here for as long as the Lord allows.

I could list so many specific instances of God's faithfulness throughout this year, or the names of our many friends scattered across the country, or the many prayers that He has answered in our lives this year -- but suffice to say, I am incredibly thankful this year. Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings in our lives.

"Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name. Make known among the nations what HE has done!" - Psalm 102:1