Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Yes, I adore the food. More than I can explain, actually. But the idea of an entire day completely set apart to live in a posture of thankfulness for all God has given? It makes my heart sing.

Taking the time to stop and give thanks for the blessings, and even the hardships, in our lives brings us to a place of humbleness. It keeps things in perspective, reminding us of what is most important. Living in thankfulness is a way to stop consuming, stop desiring, stop coveting. To be content with what we are given.

Every night, each member of our family says three things we are thankful for. Sometimes they are big things – financial provision we were desperate for, answered prayers of deep and sincere friendships, body parts saved and reattached by skilled surgeons. Sometimes they are small – a moment of laughter, discovering an unopened box of dryer sheets stashed back on a shelf in the laundry room when we ran out and had a really small grocery budget, a favorite food for dinner. My daughter’s favorite thing to be thankful for is her hair.

But I think all of these things – significant and insignificant – become big, important things when we recognize them and say thank you.

I’ve been so very humbled and challenged by a question I heard at church this past Sunday – “If I woke up tomorrow with only the things I thanked God for today, what would I have?”

So, God, thank you.

Thank you for the solid roof over our heads. For the food in our bellies. For the dryer sheets. For peanut butter cookies and the dog who ate half the batter. For my husband and my babies. For my church family and my dear, precious friends. For my blood family and my opportunity to serve beautiful women through MOPS. For air conditioning and a working car. For the hardships that have refined me to look more like you. For the joys in my life that have reminded me of your goodness. For my salvation and my dishwasher and music and my daughter’s beautiful hair. For all of these things, I am thankful.