Meet Cheese.

Getting her out of sunglasses is quite a feat!

A.k.a. my sister.  Don’t ask me where “Cheese” came from.  I don’t remember.  But it’s ingrained so deeply in my psyche that I forget it’s not her real name and use it casually (and constantly), without realizing that people who don’t know her (or me) think a slice of yellow dairy product gave birth to my niece and nephew.

But she’s on an amazing journey (which apparently includes totally showing me up in the writing department!) with the Lord and this week, besides being  thankful for HER, I’m thankful to share her words with you this week.  Wow–isn’t God doing amazing things for us all!

My name is Beckie and I am Jamie’s younger sister.  When she asked me to be a guest blogger, I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant.  Writing has never been my strong suit, and all of us faithful Walkin’ in High Cotton readers know how great Jamie is with words.  But when she said that she wanted me to write a Thankful on a Thursday post, I decided to give it a try.  If there’s is one thing I can put into words, it’s all of the wonderful blessings in my life.

I am thankful for being a follower of Christ.  That even with all the sin in my life, and the mistakes I make, He still loves me.  He loves the person that I am, and the person I am trying to become.  I know He hates the sin, but loves the sinner, and that gives me hope that tomorrow will be even more glorious then today.

I am thankful for not only the joy He has brought me, but also the sorrow, because without the sorrow, I wouldn’t know how truly blessed I am.  Every moment of hardship and sadness in my life has made me, not only a better person, but a stronger Christian.  I have learned to appreciate things that I would otherwise have taken for granted.  And that, to me, is part of God’s amazing grace.

I am thankful for my family.  As you know from reading Walkin’ in High Cotton, our parents were called home by the Lord 4 years ago.  But their example of love for family will always be alive and well in my heart.  I am thankful that even though I felt anger towards God for taking them, he stood by me and loved me through it all.  He knew that one day I wouldn’t be angry with him for taking them, I would be thankful for having them for the 24 years that I did, and I am.

She's gonna kill me for digging out this old picture of her and my brother-in-law. So is Mr. Fix-It, come to think of it.

I am thankful for my husband, my partner in life.  To know that I have someone who has vowed to stand beside me all the days of my life simply because he wants to, is beyond words.  To have someone to share all the joys that life has to offer, and all of the sorrows too, is very comforting.  I know that with him walking through this life with me, I will never be alone.  I am thankful to have a husband who is such a wonderful provider for his family.  A husband who is willing to make sacrifices to make sure his wife and children are taken care of.  I am thankful that my children, especially my son, have such a wonderful example of what a man is, and should strive to be.

Cheese begat Bubba in 2004.

I am thankful for my children.  They are one of my most difficult  challenges so far, but with the greatest pay-off.  To see their sweet little faces light up when they tell me the stories they read in Sunday school makes my heart melt.  I know that I am not the perfect mother (who is really?), but I know that the Lord felt I was up to the challenge.

My little girl asked me the other day “Mommy, why are you always reading your bible?”  My response was, “Because Mommy wants to learn God’s word.”  As she walked away, huffing and puffing because she wanted Mommy to play barbies with her, I couldn’t help but grin because it felt so good to hear her ask me that question instead of “Mommy, why are you always sleeping?” or “Mommy, why are you always crying?”  Which were two questions I used to get a lot.  And as ashamed as I am to admit that, I am also very proud to admit that those are questions I haven’t heard in some time now.

God came into my life and took over.  He showed me that I had a job to do and that while it was alright to be sad, I had to remember what job He Himself gave me to do.  Be a mother, show these children the Way, show them how to be strong Christians even through frustration and sadness.  And that is what I chose to do, and lucky for me, it wasn’t too late.

And Cheese begat the Diva in 2006.

I am thankful for my sister, my best friend.  She has led me through my life by wonderful example.  She has shown me how to become a better Christian, a better mother, and a better wife.  Without her guidence, I would be on the wrong path, and still lost in this life.  The Lord Himself  saved me through His amazing grace, but my sister is one that helped show me the way back to Him.
And finally, I am thankful to have found such a wonderful place to call my church home.  New Life Community Church has breathed new breath into my life.  I have found a place that I can go to worship the Lord where I feel renewed and refreshed every time I walk out.  I have never, in all my years of attending church, felt as close to the Lord as I do today.  I know that it’s not the pastor or the congregation.  It is Him.  For the first time, I feel Him.  I mean, really feel Him.  There are days when I will cry driving home from Sunday service, not because I’m sad, but because I can actually feel Him in my heart and in my life.

Now that is something we should ALL be thankful for.