Let's be Thankful with a Gracious Heart

The month of November is a great time to rewind and reflect on all things we are grateful for.  I encourage everyone, no matter your situation, to sit back and reflect on your life with a gracious heart.  We all have so much to be thankful for. 

It has, undoubtedly, been another tough year for many folks.  When we sit down to count our blessings, it may not be what we had hoped for, money is tight, job loss is real, shortages are real, but we still have so much to be thankful for. 

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1 Thessalonians 5:18
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

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My friend you are strong, rejoice! Find a few beans, a slab of meat, and a few kernels of corn, sit down with your family, reflect on the year and take turns naming things you are thankful for.  No matter your world views, there is always something to be thankful for.  

As farmers, a prime example is with each harvest, no matter how big or small, God still provides.  No not every seed always comes up, no not every fruit that is produced is the prettiest, not every egg is perfect, but we a grateful regardless.  There are hard days.  This spring most of my early tomatoes had blossom end rot, I had folks ringing my phone off the hook needing tomatoes, I was upset that I didn't have any to give, I had to remind myself to be grateful for the few good tomatoes I did have.  Then, later in the summer I was blessed with a bounty of beautiful late tomatoes!

Another example is our turkeys.  We began with 29 turkeys to give folks a good local option for Thanksgiving this year, but by processing day we were left with 9.  Yes, you read that right we lost 20 turkeys.  A predator (still haven't figured out what) wiped out 10 in one night and injured several more who passed the next day.  I'm not going to lie, I was irritated, sad, and disgusted to be honest.  As I reflect back on this, I am grateful that we have enough turkeys for our family Thanksgivings and still able to provide for a few folks in the community.  

Being grateful is a conscious decision, it is a mindset, that everyone must remind themselves of.  Lets be thankful that our daily needs are still being met, that we have a roof over our head, shoes on our feet, and food in our pantries.  

With a thankful attitude for the quality of life we enjoy in these hills, supportive friends and family, lets look at the horizon and enjoy the beautiful sunsets this time of year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family, and lets remember to do everything with a gracious heart.  
​-Meagan