“As you go through this day, look for tiny treasures strategically placed along the way. I lovingly go before you and plant little pleasures to brighten your day. Look carefully for them, and pluck them one by one. When you reach the end of the day, you will have gathered a lovely bouquet. Offer it up to Me with a grateful heart. Receive My Peace as you lie down to sleep, with thankful thoughts playing a lullaby in your mind.” Sarah Young in “Jesus Calling” November 23 Reflection
Dear Jesus:
2006: On this Thanksgiving Day, I want to start by thanking You for this beautiful day. I'm sitting by the pool enjoying the early morning sunshine and the bright blue sky. I can hear the birds singing, and there's a squirrel running down the palm trees. I want to thank You for all your blessings. You give me so much, and sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve so much. I will accept your blessings and cherish them...
2008: Thank You for my grandparents. They are no longer here on earth but I know that they are with me in spirit. They were my first teachers. My grandfather taught me by example the importance of silence. My grandmother taught me everything else. Thank You for keeping her in my life for as long as You did. Everything I am today, I owe to her.
2009: Thank You for my parents, all three of them. Dad #1 was in my life for the first seven years, and then we were apart for the next twenty-five. Thank You for giving him back to me. Dad #2 always gave me unconditional love, and for that I will forever be grateful. Thank You for bringing him into my life when I most needed him. I have learned a lot from him, but especially patience. I have never met anyone more patient than him. Thank You for my mom. Now that she's retired we have a wonderful relationship. We talk every morning and we spend time together. I owe her my life and for that I am thankful. She has taught me a lot, but one of the most important things I have learned from her is to enjoy life to the fullest.
2010: Thank You for choosing Rafael for my husband. I, alone, would not have been able to pick a better man. He is a wonderful husband, hard working, an awesome father, and the love of my life. You know that our 26-year journey (or 30 if we start counting from the day we met), has not been an easy one. Yet, You have been with us every step of the way, and that is why we are still together. I have learned a lot from him, but especially honesty. I have never met someone more honest than my hubby. Thank You, Jesus, for choosing such an honest man for me.
2011: Thank You for Rafi. He is everything we could have ever hoped for and more. We have received great joys through Rafi. Thank You for placing your trust in us. We feel blessed that You chose us to be Rafi's parents. I know that You had to give it some careful thought, and that is why You made us wait so long for him. You had to prepare us first. If You had asked me 24 years ago, when I was in the midst of all the infertility treatments, if I would be willing to take a wonderful boy but that the boy would be diagnosed with a very serious illness at the age of 20, I would have answered YES. I would have given You the same answer that Mama Mary gave the angel when She was asked if She would be willing to be Your Mother. In spite of all the pain, the joys surpass the pain. I would not trade my son Rafi for anyone else. Thank You for trusting Rafael and me with your beautiful creation. I have learned acceptance from him. He has never asked, "why me?" He has always accepted your will for him.
2012: I want to thank You for Chabeli. I want to thank You for her sweetness, her kindness, her happiness, her wit, and her love. She was a surprise gift You sent our way 23 years ago. After so long trying to conceive, we never expected that it would be so easy the second time around. I was still breastfeeding Rafi when he was three months old, and I became pregnant. Oh, what a welcome gift. I knew she was a girl way before the sonogram confirmed it. How happy I was. I knew she would be soft and gentle since I had her in my womb. Thank You, Jesus, for my baby girl. Thank You for entrusting her to us. She brought spice to our life.
2013: Thank You for our Alex. Thank You for entrusting one more child to us. You truly have a lot of faith in us. He was so unexpected but so welcomed. You gave us a huge surprise when we found out we were going to be a family of five. He was the best Christmas present ever. Thank You for sending him to us, and allowing him to be born on December 24, 1994. Alex is all sweetness, gentleness, and love. He has a pure heart. He is full of love and compassion. At one point, I thought that You would call him to follow You. But right now, I'm not so sure. He's at UConn in Pre-Pharmacy. What do I know of your plans for him? Polish him and prepare him to whatever You call him to do. Don't ever let him lose the "joie de vivre" that he always carries around with him.
2014: Here we are. You and I, alone in the Blessed Sacrament. What an honor and what a privilege to be able to spend a few minutes in silence in Your Presence. Thank You for loving me so much. Thank You for placing Your Eyes upon me and for giving me the gift of faith... Thank You for my extended family. I always wanted to be part of a big family. Since my two brothers lived so far away from me, You made sure that I married into a huge family. Thank You for the Romero family who always made me feel like I was one of them.
2016: Thank You for the gift of so many friends. Unfortunately, my two besties live far away so I don't get to see them as often as I would like. But I have a ton of other "best" friends: my Emmaus sisters, my Bible study friends, the STS moms, the Belen moms, the Lourdes moms, a few friends from my school days that are still in my life, my work friends, my Facebook friends... There are a lot of people in my life. All sent by You at different stages. Some have stayed in my life for a little while. They had a purpose, and when their purpose was fulfilled, they moved on. Some have stayed in my life for a season. The friends in my spring season were the friends of my childhood and my youth. When my summer arrived, most of them moved on. My summer friends were the moms I met when my children were born, and all through their school years. Most were only meant to stay for the summer days so we could compare "growing pain" notes. Now, I'm in the autumn of my life. Most of my friends are from my faith communities. But I still have friends from the earlier seasons that have sticked around. Each person that You have sent me has a purpose and a reason to be in my life. Some will still be around when the winter days arrive. And those, I will know were the true friends because they will have been with me for a lifetime. Jesus, I know that You are one of my "lifetime" friends. Thank You for being My Friend when I needed to vent. Thank You for being an older Brother when I needed advice. Thank You for being My Father when I needed a shoulder to cry on. Thank You for being My Mentor, My Guide, My Teacher, and My Everything.
2017: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because there is no gift giving, no rush, no shopping... even though little by little the stores have been trying to steal Thanksgiving from us, opening earlier and earlier. Today, they will open from 10 to midnight, even longer than any regular day. I will not be there. I will not allow them to take away this time with my family. If other people are dumb enough to allow the stores to control their lives, that's their problem. There are plenty of days in the year for shopping. Thanksgiving is a day to be with family, and to thank You for all our blessings. Thank You, Jesus, for all the blessings that You bestow upon us each and every day. Thank You for the gift of this very peaceful year for our family. We are blessed.
I love You, Jesus!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family. May you have a blessed day surrounded by the love of family and friends. And remember, NO shopping today!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment