Jaime Hlavin joins the blog again today—the day before Thanksgiving. We hope you will find moments with family and friends this holiday that will fill up your gratefulness tank. All of us here at Converge Coaching wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy Jaime’s post ~ John.

I consider myself a fairly grateful person. I appreciate life’s blessings. I write three things I’m thankful for in my journal daily—to be fair, there are many days I revert to my three standbys: Jesus, Coffee, and my goldendoodles. But I’m discovering as I’m getting older and life becomes increasingly complicated, I’m having to put in some extra gratitude work from time to time.

A few years ago, we embarked on a journey that completely upended our comfortable lives. It was a huge life change and required significant adjustments and transitions. It was at that time thankfulness became a bit more of an intentional choice as life got increasingly complicated.

In the midst of normal life transition that came with a brand-new ministry assignment, we encountered some truly hard things. It’s been a bit of a bit of a stretch. However, I have chosen to draw a line in the sand and by refusing to succumb to ever-changing circumstances. I will choose to find the points of light in the “stuff of life.”

For example, I’m writing this on the tail end of my 3rd bout of COVID-19. Yet I am thankful that each time I’ve had it, my cases were extremely mild. And this time, negative tests appeared just in time for a big string of exciting events and happenings in our lives. So, I was non-contagious and healthy enough to be able to be fully present and enjoy every second.

As another example, my youngest daughter’s social life and sports schedule is insane—and she doesn’t have a driver’s license yet. I am merely an unpaid Uber driver these days. And yet, that social life has led to her bringing a girl from her public high school to church every week. She shares Jesus with this girl so boldly and compassionately that it moves me to tears.

My college-age daughter is home for Thanksgiving weekend. We haven’t seen her in person since the end of August as she attends school in Pennsylvania so visiting logistics aren’t easy or cost-effective. I am so happy and grateful to see her face-to-face.

My father-in-law recently got engaged after losing my mother-in-law to cancer. We are happy that he has found love again in this new chapter of life. We have known her, her children, and her grandchildren for literally a lifetime, so we are excited that dear friends will become family.

In early spring, my dad was told that he was essentially going blind—which was devastating to him. However, he is a candidate for eye injections that have really helped with macular degeneration. His eyesight isn’t perfect, but he’s still able to drive and enjoy everyday activities (which for him includes tinkering with his vintage British motorcycles).

All these things remind me of a phrase that my husband would tell our former church with regularity: Life will be difficult, but God can be trusted.

I am so thankful for our God who holds our lives carefully in His hands. Even amid the hard stuff of this existence in a very fallen world, we can trust Him. So . . . while I don’t know what you are going through today, can I encourage to look for what is good in your life and thank God for it? As you engage in the thankful attitude of this holiday season, know that we at Converge Coaching are rooting and praying for you!

Jaime