Are We Thankful Enough?

Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday season. America's tradition of celebrating thanksgiving began in the year of 1621. The celebration was held at Plymouth Colony. The English Pilgrims who had founded the colony marked the occasion by feasting with Native American guests—members of the Wampanoag tribe—who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. Although this event was an important part of American colonial history, there is no evidence that any of the participants thought of the feast as a thanksgiving celebration. Two years later, during a period of drought, a day of fasting and prayer was changed to one of thanksgiving because rains came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed among New Englanders to annually celebrate Thanksgiving after the harvest.

As we relflect on this past year, there have been many news events that have shaken and reshaped our lives. Many of you are thankful for a multitude of things ranging from material things to more meaningful things such as food, health and family.

I would like to share with you the events of my life that I am most thankful for this past fourteen months which began transforming about nine years ago.

I am thankful that God chose me to be a Pastors Wife.

1 Thessolonians 5:18(NIV)
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

God does not make mistakes. After praying numerous prayers during and after a previous marriage and divorce, I was given a man who would share my dreams and thoughts regarding the works of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My prayer was simple. I prayed for a Godly and Christian Man. I prayed that he was taller. I prayed that I would be married again soon after I had completely healed from my divorce. Never, did I pray to become a pastor's wife. As I think back, my late cousin, the Dr. E.K. Bailey who was the Founding Senior Pastor of the Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas obviously knew that I had a call on my life. He looked at me in the month of November 1997 and said very sternly while at a family gathering to "get back into church". Well, I never left church, I was serving my country on the weekends as an Army Reserve Officer. I went to the military church services, but I was AWOL from my home church most weekends due to this obligation. Two years later, I was in a tragic accident that should have ended my life, however God had His Angels protecting me. I saw them standing next to me as the ambulance was wisking me away to the nearest hospital where the news was given to me that I had broken my back. The two Angels clearly told me that I was going to be alright, but I was going to go through something. Of course, I made it through the tests.

I am a better person today as a result of the heartache, physical pain, financial suffering and my unwavering faith in God. Now back to the inital story of becoming a pastors wife. I am thankful that the Lord chose me to be the helpmeet of Pastor Michael Eaton of the Holiday Hills Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas.

I still wonder, Am I thankful enough?