Gratitude is powerful. When we take time to thank God and those around us for life’s many gifts, we’re reminded of everything we have. Thanking others makes them feel good, but it also helps us feel better about ourselves.
That’s why I love Thanksgiving. Sure, I’m not going to pass up the turkey, the dressing, or the pumpkin pie, but I appreciate the fact that we have a holiday that’s completely devoted to taking stock of everything we have and taking a moment to be thankful.
My prayers of thanks include my family, my friends, my church family and the staff, and all the wonders of life itself. I also give thanks for the work I’m able to do. Perhaps that sounds strange, when you realize that every day I listen to people’s problems. I hear about abuse, cruelty, and so many examples of evil behavior. I watch couples that were joined by love describe how they’ve come to despise one another. I see tears well up in people’s eyes as they share stories of what other people have done to them … or what they have done to others. In my career, I’ve heard things that would shock, sadden, and even sicken you … and yet, I’m thankful.
Why? Because God has chosen me and the rest of our team at Care to Change to play a role in healing. We help people understand that that have real worth for the first time in their lives. We make it possible for people to see that they are worthy of love, despite what others may have told them. We give couples ways to handle conflicts that actually bring them closer together. We educate parents about the way their children see the world, so they can support them and help them grow into emotionally healthy adults.
Jesus did many things in his time on Earth, and one that we sometime forget is that he was a healer. All of us here at Care to Change have been blessed with the opportunity to follow in His image and to bring real healing to His children. He told the woman who touched His clothes, “Go in peace and be freed from your suffering,” and that’s the objective of everything we do.
Do we perform miracles? No, but we witness them occur on a daily basis. We see people who have suffered for many years experience real peace and joy. Those miracles appear in people’s homes and in their hearts, and they joy they produce sustains and empowers us. I am truly thankful to have the opportunities to see those miracles in action.
Read more about how I feel about my clients.