{Thanks}giving Week: Little Things Thankfulness

Hey guys and gals! Hope those of you who are Thanksgiving-celebrating folk enjoyed a lovely celebratory moment yesterday. Perhaps all these thoughts about Thanksgiving made it even a lil more special? Mehopes… The week of {Thanks}giving in this space is continuing just a wee while longer (yay) and I am especially delighted to share today’s story of provision and trusting God because many of you might be thinking of heading out to make some Christmas-related purchases today!

The delightful Michelle Dameron is sharing thoughts on thanks with us today. Michelle and I went to East Carolina University together (Go Pirates!) and she is a woman of great faith. I hope her stories will encourage you to patiently wait for things, and to bring your requests to the Lord before throwing them on the Black Friday credit card! Michelle blogs at Michelle Has Thoughts, where her thoughtfulness and her honesty are both a challenge and an inspiration. Now on with the {Thank}fulness!

***
Thankful in the Little Things

Thanksgiving happens once a year, but I think most of us know we should try and cultivate thankfulness all year long.  I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.  I know in my life, if I cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving Jesus is more likely to keep doing some pretty cool “little things.”

We get so bogged down with life and all that comes at us.  We even can chalk some events up to “good luck” or “just happening”.  But shouldn’t we be looking for the hand of God in our everyday lives.  After all, He does care about the little things.  If you read the story of creation you know just how detailed our God is.

I would like to share a story of Jesus doing little things in my life lately.

This past month I’ve been working hard on some ideas for a friend’s baby shower.  I really wanted it to be a great event and blessing, but knew financially I would not have a lot of money to put into it.  God knew the desires of my heart and opened some doors.  I wanted to make a diaper cake and low and behold at a consignment sale I found all I needed for $12 instead of $35 at the store!  Then I wanted to get some mini pumpkins for decoration and found them at Walmart for 19 cents a bag!  They had them priced wrong and I was able to get 35 mini pumpkins for $2 instead of $20!  Then, to top all this off, I received a TV survey in the mail from the Nielsen Research Company with $30 enclosed to fill it out for a week!  Isn’t it neat how God provides?!  It’s never predictable and always creative.  And He wants to do it for everyone!

It’s neat to see when our hearts are for others to be blessed He works things out for us.  I don’t mean this to be a trivial example.  I am well aware there are much more important things in life than planning showers.  But the point is, it meant something to me for this event to be special to my friend.  And God knew that.  And He provided.

It seems the more I’ve thanked Jesus in the moment, the more He does.  Let’s thank Jesus in the “little things,”  even if you think what you desire isn’t that important.

_____

My name is Michelle Dameron and I live in Eastern North Carolina.  I am married to the love of my life, whom I met my senior year in college.  He was a campus minister in the campus ministry I attended.  But it’s not nearly as scandalous as it sounds! 🙂 We were friends for a while and married in May of 2006.  Two years later we had our first son Isaac who is now two.  We are currently 16 weeks pregnant and awaiting the debut of our second child in May of 2011!

***

Thanks so much for sharing, Michelle! I am so encouraged to be reminded about God’s great provision — it challenges me not to try to make things happen in my own strength! I am glad you shared this important thoughts with us on this particular Friday!

xCC