What Are You Thankful For? · 24 November 2010
At church the other day, our pastor asked the congregation what we were thankful for. While having a job and a place to live in the current economy are certainly huge blessings, family is what I am thankful for.
Having a job and a place to live almost seem like luxuries in this current economic climate. People are not finding jobs and are losing homes. They used to be the poor guys the paper decided to do a story on or the friend of a friend. Now, they are people we know personally. The family down the street or relatives. It is humbling to know that I am blessed beyond many people’s wildest dreams. Just because I have a job and a place to live. To be sure, I am thankful for both.
But having a place to live and the means to provide would not mean very much without the family that I am providing for. My family is why I am excited to come home every night from working. I love my job, but I love my family more. I love to go to work each day hoping that I might make a difference in a young person’s life. I love coming home knowing that I will make a difference in my kids’ lives. My hope is that it is a positive difference.
Besides my wife and my kids, I am also thankful for my parents and siblings. We do not get to see each other as often as any of us would like, but we still like each other. There are no family feuds or rifts between us. We still just kiss and make up when we hurt each other. Just like when we were kids and Mom and Dad made us do it. We comfort each other in times of trials and celebrate with each other in times of joy. We are still best of friends and we love each other and each other’s kids.
Our family also extends to a bunch of church friends who have all become a family. The family that we all chose. We get together almost weekly to study the Bible or a spiritual book or just to get together. We talk, eat, laugh, and study. And like a family bonded by blood, we love and help raise each others’ kids.
God has blessed me beyond belief. I have a job I love. Our family has a nice home. I have family and friends who love me and care for me. Everything else is just icing on the cake. So when we go around the table at Thanksgiving asking what we are thankful for, I hope that nobody thinks I am trying to cop out when all I say is, “Family.”
© 2010 Michael T. Miyoshi
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