Faith, family and friends

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over" (Psalm 23:5 KJV).

"I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me" (Psalm 13:6 KJV).

Lydia Madison

November 25, 2021

It took me much longer than I expected to return to writing since having a baby. No one prepared me for the way my brain would turn to complete mush during the postpartum period, unable to focus on anything except the child in my arms. At some point I will try to write a more in-depth reflection on what this experience has been like so far, but today I want to share some thoughts I’m having this Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a celebration of bounty. This year, Thanksgiving is more significant to me than usual because I have truly entered a season of abundance. Seasons of abundance are often accompanied by the temptation to grow spiritually complacent, and I have certainly experienced this. But I am actively repenting of complacency in order to encounter, embrace, and enjoy the many blessings that surround me. Here are a few of them. My marriage. In December 2019, I had the most beautiful pre-pandemic wedding to my soulmate. God united me with a man who is strong, confident, and determined, which is exactly what I needed. My husband makes me feel safe. He makes me want to better myself. He is a man of commitment and conviction in every area of his life, especially in his commitment to provide for our little family and to serve our church. I love him for that. I thank God for my marriage. My daughter. Since becoming a mother, I now carry my heart outside my body. It is both elating and terrifying. I thank God for this little girl with the chubby cheeks I kiss hundreds of times a day, and the smiles she saves especially for her mama. My heart has expanded tenfold now that I have her. I am grateful to be a mother and that we are financially stable enough for me to stay home with our baby girl. I thank God for my daughter. My family. The entire family on both my side and my husband's side: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings-- have been the greatest support system during this new season of life. I especially thank God for placing us in a house right down the road from my parents. My parents in particular have sacrificed so much of their time and resources in order to welcome the new baby into the family. The love they show for my daughter and for our blossoming family unit makes me appreciate them even more. What a wonderful family we have. No problems. No drama. Just mutual love and support. I thank God for my family. My church. This year, we became members of a healthy and vibrant Anglican (ACNA) church. It is a privilege to be a part of this healthy and vibrant congregation in which sound doctrine is preached, the sacraments are administered, and Christ's love is emanated whenever the doors are open. These are the components of a healthy church that matter the most and it is rare to find all three practiced with such fidelity. I thank God for my church. My friends. I had been praying for God to send me some young women that I have things in common with whom I can spend time with regularly, and this prayer has been answered in 2021. I have a handful of friends from church that get together about once a month, and a couple of friends in particular whom I meet with almost weekly. Doing life with these women encourages me more than I can put into words. I thank God for my friends. Are you seeing a pattern here? The blessings that fulfill me the most are the ones without a price tag. Faith. Family. Friends. 2021 would have been bountiful with or without the material possessions. It is the people God has placed in my life that mean the most.

We thank You, Lord, for the many blessings of this life. But most notably we thank You for the friends and family that spur us on toward love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). We thank You for the bountiful table to which You have invited us in Christ and for all of the saints that gather around it. Our cups truly run over (Psalm 23:5). In your most Blessed Name, Amen.