Years ago, I began a tradition of writing a thank you letter to God.  Each November I sat with pen in hand, silently reflecting in solitude on the gracious gifts God bestowed on me. If you could have looked into the windows of my life at the time, I possessed few belongings.  I left my abusive husband and travelled 1,100 miles to live in my parent’s basement.

Although I possessed few belongings, my heart overflowed with gratitude.

Non-things.  Those topped the list.  Family, friends, and my precious relationship with Jesus adorned this thank you letter to the Lord.  Freedom – something often taken for granted – also hit the top ten.  The fact that I could walk and move easily found its way on the letter. I’d been an athlete since childhood, but at age 28 a weird disease called ankylosing spondylitis entered my life.  Many say it’s more painful than childbirth, and by the time I started writing these letters, my heart filled with tears of gratitude if I could walk, dress myself, drive, and use the restroom without excruciating pain.

Over the years, I wrote many such letters of thanks to God.  But somewhere along life’s voyage, I stopped writing them.  I don’t remember when or why, but before Thanksgiving, I once again will sit down with paper and pen to write my thankyou letter to God.

And this year, I invite you to do the same.  Your heart will overflow with gladness as life’s pitfalls and dreary days fade into the background and gratitude bursts through like daffodils in early Spring.  Pull up a chair, grab a pen, a cup of coffee, and let your heart sing a song of gratitude to God.