Monday, December 25, 2017

5 Gifts I'm Thankful for This Christmas

Merry Christmas!♡
Today we celebrate our Savior's birth. 
In honor of Christmas, I decided to make a post about the gifts God has given me recently. 

PATIENCE
God has tested my patience repeatedly this season. Whether it be through dealing with children's tantrums and their squabbles at work or wanting something that I believe will fulfill me in my own life, God has taught me patience through it all. Even though I have felt overwhelmed at times recently, somehow God has given me the strength to be patient with those around me as well as with myself. I can be very hard on myself being the crazy perfectionist I am. God has taught me to not be so hard on myself and to be patient with my anxious heart. 

HEARTBREAK
This one may surprise you. Who in their right mind would be thankful to have their heart broken? Even though I have gone through a lot of emotional pain recently after the loss of my baby cousin and relationship issues, He has taught me that there is beauty within the pain I endure. He has taught me to look for Him in these painful moments, to see His grace and mercy. I asked for healing and without me knowing it at first, He bandaged up my wounds. It will take time for them to completely heal but just knowing that He cares so much about my heart makes me ever so grateful.

PURPOSE
God has given my life meaning. He has led me to a career that I am so thankful for. I am going into the Early Childhood Education field and couldn't be more content with such a choice. He has given me a passion and love for teaching. I teach a group of dear four-year-olds. Perhaps things in my personal life haven't gone quite as planned, I am trusting that God has a purpose for my life. That He will use me in some way to help those around me. To use my gifts for His glory.

TRUST
My little students taught me so much about this. Their childlike faith and optimism encouraged me to put more of my trust in the Lord. They needed no help when it came to trusting God and I admired their beautiful innocence. It's no secret that trusting God has been a struggle for me. Trusting Him when I felt like He had betrayed me by not answering my prayers made me wonder if He really was a merciful, loving God. I questioned him repeatedly. I was angry that He didn't do what I wanted Him to do. I was upset that a merciful God could seem so merciless. Every day I asked for trust, and I began to lean on Him. I began to trust Him even though my future was not known to me. Though I felt alone, He was there. The fact that He would always be there for me no matter how large or small my problems may seem filled me with such peace.

PEACE
I am so grateful for this gift. It is so hard to find peace in such a busy, loud world. When I needed Him, He would give me this sense of peace that calmed my worrisome heart and my busy mind. I found this sacred peace within music, poetry, and nature. I took and continue to take long walks in a field in my backyard. There is a small, beautifully woven tree that can only be seen when I am deep in the field. For me, it is my symbol of peace. I first met this tree when my heart was only beginning to ache with the weight of life. I saw it in the distance and a small path leading to this tree had already been created. So I followed the narrow path and found myself face to face with its bare branches. The sun had begun to set and its light shadowed the tree into a beautiful silhouette. My eyes watered, I smiled, I felt a gentle warm within me despite the biting cold. That is when I knew everything was going to be alright.

Friends, what gifts have God given you this season?

3 comments:

  1. This was so beautiful! The holiday season gives me peace and happiness and also stressfulness. :)

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  2. Merry Christmas, Eve! I'm so sorry for your loss. Heartbreak is always tough, but I think you expressed your thoughts beautifully. Thanks for sharing a look into your life with us. xo
    peridotcove.blogspot.com

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