Women’s Devotion: Thankful

Thankful: to be grateful, express appreciation for…

I always think of being thankful for the good things in my life and my family’s lives. But God reminds us to give Him thanks even when things in life are difficult and may bring us pain. The last few months have brought this to light for me.

My Mom lived a good (and sometimes hard) life for 106 years. She was ready to go and often wondered why she was still here. It became much more difficult for her to maneuver life and this, in turn, became more difficult for me to watch.

During these months, though, we have been surrounded by many friends who helped us navigate this difficult journey. Knowing that others care and were sending prayers of peace and comfort to Mom and to us helped ease the pain. God put those friends and caregivers into our lives for a reason. Realizing this made us thankful for them.

Now, even through the sorrow and pain, we can celebrate her new life in Heaven. This celebration brings joy to our hearts and smiles to our faces. We are thankful for her life and how her faith, strong life, love and many experiences helped to shape who we are today.

God continues to provide His steadfast and unwavering love to us each day as He helps to see us through good times and bad. Our thankful hearts feel His never-ending love surround us.

Dear Lord, thank you for being with us each new day and for Your loving presence in our lives. May we show You thankfulness all our days and show caring towards others as You do so for us. Amen.

Written by Mary Plageman
Mary Plageman is a member of Sheridan’s Women’s Ministry Team. Mary and Ron have been members of Sheridan since 1974. They have been married 46 years and have two sons, Nate and Brendan. They also have three wonderful grandchildren, Cora (3), Owen (2) and Damon (3 months). Mary retired from teaching first grade in 2011. She loves to travel, read great books, spend time with the grandkids, enjoy time with family and friends, and wonders how she got everything done before! They love Sheridan and all the wonderful people who are their special extended family!