What I'm Thankful For in 2024

It’s Thanksgiving here in the US. For many, the best part of the holiday is Thanksgiving dinner. My favorite part is the opportunity to reflect on the year and share all that I’m thankful for.

This year I’m thankful for:

I’m thankful for my faith. I’m thankful to the Father for creating us, sending Christ to save us, and for always being there for us. This year has been a huge year of spiritual growth for me, and this is by far what I’m most thankful for. ♥✝

I’m thankful for never struggling to stay fed and hydrated. While many of us are staying warm at home enjoying Thanksgiving dinner tonight, it’s important to remember that many struggle daily to stay nourished. This is an issue I’ve seen firsthand here in the US, but it’s also a major issue worldwide. I witnessed firsthand how widespread it is on my recent mission trip to Cuba. If you have the means, I highly recommend donating to a food bank network such as Feeding America (https://www.feedingamerica.org/) or volunteering at a local food bank.

I’m thankful for always having a roof over my head. Homelessness is a major issue across the United States and throughout the world. This is a major issue, especially here in the Northern US, where the temperatures get so cold during the winter that those without shelter can quickly die of exposure.

I haven’t told this story to anybody, but earlier this year the Lord introduced me to a neighbor a few blocks away who was caring for their elderly mother who was on her deathbed due to cancer, and as a result this person struggled with food poverty. They struggled to even get to work because they had to sell their car to help with the medical bills. Shortly after their mother passed, they became homeless. It was clear to me that the Lord put this person into my life because they needed assistance, and the Lord has blessed me to be able to help provide it. They told me repeatedly they were so grateful for all I was doing because they had no one else to help them. Yet I wish I was able to do more. I didn’t tell this story to anyone until now because I feel good deeds should be done without seeking praise, but this story is fitting here because you never know who’s struggling. It’s not just people on the other side of the world; it’s people in your community too. Had the timing been a few minutes different, I never would have crossed paths with this person, and I wouldn’t have known that someone just a few blocks from me was struggling so heavily. I’m thankful that the Lord gave me the means and opportunity to help this person.

I’m thankful for the time and place in which I live and the opportunities that have been provided to me. Here in the United States at least, we live in one of the freest, safest, and healthiest times in history. I’m not a slave or indentured servant, forced to labor away on a farm for little to no pay. I don’t live in the dark ages where I was likely to die of disease. I’m not stuck in Nazi-occupied Europe facing oppression and death, or in the Soviet Union facing mass famine, starvation, and death. We face problems in modern times, sure, but these tend to be relatively minor compared to what many people have faced throughout history or even in other areas of the world right now. I can choose to pursue any career I want, not locked into some caste-like system or command economy where your job is inherited or chosen for you. I can enjoy whatever hobbies I want. I’m not being forced to fight in a war or suffering the effects of a war-torn country. I can practice my faith openly without fear of persecution or oppression. These things should not be taken for granted, and I’m so thankful for them.

I’m thankful for my health. As a healthy young man, health is not something I often think about. I just got over a flu that lasted a little over a week or so, and that’s really the worst I’ve been sick in a long time (that is to say, not very sick). However, recent events have reminded me how lucky I am to be healthy. My grandpa Ron is on his deathbed (complications from being a lifelong smoker) and will be lucky to survive another week or two. This is a good reminder that health is not forever, and I am thankful and blessed to be in good health.

I’m thankful for my family. I often hear people say they wish they had a different family, but I’ve never felt that way. While my family and I definitely have our issues, I love them and am very thankful to call them my family. After faith, the next most important thing to me is family, and I’ve been blessed with the family I have.

I’m thankful for my friends and community. The Lord has been very generous to me. Despite being an introvert, I have many close friends of many different types and personalities. I think friends shape you as a person more than anything else, and I believe a big part of the mental health issues facing our country today stem from people not having many true friends. When I faced a job layoff a few months ago, many of my friends reached out to support me and have been praying for me. I am beyond grateful to all of you. I am also thankful for the communities I’m in, from my amazing church community to the men’s/small groups I’m in, and all the other communities I’m involved in. I’m very grateful to all of you!

Finally, I’m thankful for the personal growth I’ve experienced this year. There’s so many other things I’m thankful for, but this is already lengthy, so I need to end it somewhere. This has been the biggest year of my life, with more milestones and changes than the last 5 years combined. I’ve had significant growth in my faith, career, personal life, friendships, and more. I plan to reflect on this more come New Year, so I’ll leave it at that for now. The Lord has used this year to make countless positive changes in my life, and I am beyond blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!