Crazy Grateful

Some years, life seems crazier than other years. Doesn’t it? 2020 (“The Year of Covid”) was truly crazy. In my lifetime, I have never experienced another year quite like 2020. And if you had told me that 2021 would have started out even crazier, well, I would have said, “You’re crazy!” But 2021 did start out that way. The passing of my mom; the end of a cherished friendship; and an unexpected series of event that felt like the enemy himself was determined to discourage me, defeat me and sow seeds of doubt regarding God’s bigger plan and purpose in my life. Have you ever been there? Or experienced a similar season of life? If so, don’t give up hope. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!” And for that I’m grateful. And during those seasons of life which are particularly crazy, I’ve learned to be “Crazy Grateful”!

Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect and be grateful for our many blessings. Family, friends, freedom – there is so much to be grateful for. One of the things I’m most grateful for is a group of adults affectionately referred to as “Quarterlifers”. Quarterlife is a group of adults in their twenties who gather each week to build healthy relationships with each other and at the same time share and discuss how their faith-life intersects with real-life.

Quarterlife is a unique opportunity to do life with a group of younger adults. It’s an opportunity to share the serious aspects of life, the humorous aspects of life, and those parts of life which are most meaningful – family, friends, success, failure, fears, worries, hopes, dreams, faith & God. Quarterlife also allows me to develop friendships with a group of adults who keep me young at heart while allowing me to share some of the insights and wisdom that I’ve gained over the years.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize it’s increasingly more challenging to develop healthy new relationships, especially those outside of my current demographic or current season of life. Quarterlife has gifted me with a unique opportunity to do just that – to do life and develop new friendships with group of wonderful “twenty-somethings” which I would otherwise never meet or cross paths with in life. That’s just one of the reasons I’m grateful this year.

What are you grateful for these days? Have you taken time to reflect on your blessings in life? My hope and prayer is that during this holiday season you set aside a few minutes to reflect on your blessings and thank God for each one of them. That you cultivate a heart of gratitude. And during those seasons of life when things get crazy, which often happens during the holiday season, you learn to be Crazy Grateful. It may not change your circumstances, but there is a good chance that being grateful - Crazy Grateful - will change your heart and will change you!

Happy Holidays and I’m Crazy Grateful for you, my friend!