Be Faithful AND Thankful

As I was standing in front of my refrigerator this morning, hemming and hawing about what to eat, I was reminded of a memory from my childhood.

I was 8 years old and we had just moved.   My parents built a gorgeous, brand new house in Wisconsin.  It was a beautiful Cape cod, with amazing space to play, a swing set in the backyard, and a lake just a short bike ride away.  It was my mother’s dream house!

Being the Godly people they are, my parents followed God’s calling away from their dream home to  Michigan.  We had been unable to sell the dream house, so having to make that house payment meant sacrifices were made until we had the money to buy something more permanent.  

We’d been living in Michigan for a while and one day we opened the fridge to find a hot box full of warm food-YIKES! That night at dinner, my parents explained we had no money to fix the fridge, and we were going to have to pray that God would provide.  We didn't ask God to give us a new fridge, we prayed that He would PROVIDE for us.  We all went to bed wondering how our faith would manifest itself.

We woke up the next morning to snow on the ground and lots of it! My mother said THIS was God’s provision we'd prayed for.  As an 8 year old sitting at the breakfast table, I really thought mom was losing it.  How is snow God’s answer to our prayers?  She took out a cooler and made us follow her outside.  She took that cooler and filled it up with snow, put in the gallon of milk, placed the top on and marched us back inside. 

We all sat around the table and praised God for His provision and answer to our prayers! That winter we prayed for snow every day and for 3 months we always had enough snow to keep our food cold in that cooler on the deck.  It was one of the snowiest winters in Michigan's history!  By the time Spring came around, God had sold that dream house in Wisconsin and we were able to buy a  working fridge.

Today God reminded me to be thankful because He always sees our need and will always provide.  I am also abundantly thankful for my parent’s Godly instruction! My mother was so faithful that she saw God's answer to prayer even though it wasn't in the form we expected.  

So this Thanksgiving, don’t forget to be thankful for the little things and the ways, however unexpected, God provides for you and your family!