This is a picture of the view from my family’s cabin in the forested mountains of Northern California. I spent the weekend there with my parents and some extended family. Very restful. Just what I needed – or so I thought.
Turns out it’s all too easy to take things for granted.
Some of our other relatives had been traveling by plane into Idaho when, unbeknownst to us, a storm rolled in and forced the aircraft into a crash landing. To make a long story short (because you really don’t need to know all the details), they all miraculously survived – and I’m not the kind of person to throw the “m” word around lightly.
This causes me to think: What’s a little rest and relaxation in comparison to the knowledge that your family is alive and well? How often are we genuinely thankful for our relatives? God gave us all families – whether they are by blood or in spirit – and that is a gift not to be taken for granted. In my (and my extended family’s) case, God blessed us with a gift by protecting the lives of our relatives in spite of the dire circumstances. It’s an eye-opener, to be sure.
I’m thankful for my family – even the ones I don’t get to see too often. They are all, in no uncertain terms, a good and gift from God, and the events of this Memorial Day Weekend have served to strengthen my appreciation for it.
God bless, and good night.
-Daniel
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