According to Strong's definitions, the Hebrew word thanksgiving is tôwdâh (to-daw') and it means “confession”, “praise”, and “offering”. When we give thanks in the truest sense of the Biblical word, we offer God our praises, and acknowledge to Him that He is the Giver of all good gifts.
Giving thanks.
A giving.
A gift of thanks.
Giving a gift, in most instances, will cost you something. It may cost you your money, time, effort or an item of value. We can conclude that giving requires an offering and a sacrifice.
Perhaps this explains why thanksgiving is done so infrequently or reluctantly – it is costly.
Psalm 107:1-3 (ESV):
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
I have had the privilege of celebrating my 50th birthday this year. It has been a jubilee year! A year of reflecting. A year of resetting. A year of remembering. A year of blessing. A year of thanksgiving.
I hope you will indulge me the freedom to depart from the conventional rules of a blog, as I use this as an opportunity to acknowledge that the Lord is the Giver of all good gifts.
Dear friend, may my List of 50 Thanksgiving Items stir your heart into offering your own sacrifice of praise and gratitude to God.
Lord, I give you an offering of thanksgiving today for:
1. Being born into an imperfect family, which helped strengthen and form a strong character in me
2. Being loved by my dad and mom
3. Finding Jesus through a door-to-door evangelist in Hillbrow, at the age of 10
4. Jesus walking with me – my saviour and friend
5. Meeting my primary school bestie, Nickey, and her beautiful Christian family – it was life-changing
6. The Holy Spirit's sweet, gentle voice
7. Belonging to a Family-in-Christ
8. Father God always having His eyes on me – in the hard times, the wandering times and the rebellious times
9. Creativity in all its different shapes and forms
10. DIY skills – anything can be dollied-up with a sander, paint brush and a handy husband
11. An attention to detail (painful for some)
12. An adventurous spirit
13. Good taste buds and a love for yummy food
14. Having a heart for people: loving to host, feed and care for them
15. Health and fitness – even though it doesn’t come naturally
16. My wonderful husband - Craig
17. My loving and fulfilling marriage
18. My son
19. My son-in-law
20. My daughter
21. My Carter-babs (4.5 years old)
22. My Baylee-bums (3 years old)
23. The grandbabies still to come
24. Sisterhood and life-defining relationships
25. Spiritual parents who poured their lives into Craig and I
26. Discipleship, which laid strong foundations
27. A career where God opened doors beyond my wildest dreams
28. Generous and wise mentors
29. Good schooling for our children
30. A strong family unit and relationships with my children
31. Being able to build a family business with Craig
32. Blessing us with homes which provided security, stability and a place of refuge
33. The Word of God
34. Religious freedom in South Africa
35. God's ear – knowing He bends down to hear my prayers
36. Broken chains from hereditary curses
37. An eternal future and heavenly home
38. The prophetic promises
39. Dreams that have come true
40. Dreams that are in the waiting and, daily, being birthed
41. The treasure of living in one of the most beautiful areas in South Africa, Somerset West
42. The gift and privilege of building His Kingdom here in Somerset West
43. Living in one of the most significant periods in our human history
44. The Good News being available to me, to freely proclaim
45. The many sand roads in South Africa travelled and traversed with Craig
46. Living in this beautiful country with its diverse and interesting people
47. The many lives I've seen changed by the touch and love of Jesus
48. The spiritual sons and daughters we have had the honour of raising up in this season
49. The laugh lines I hope will only get deeper
50. The knowing with certainty that the best is yet to come
My list may seem rather ordinary, but that is the beautiful thing about God – He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving in ALL areas of our lives, the very big things and the tiny things, the ordinary and the extraordinary. If all things come from our remarkable God, we can give Him thanks for all things.
I hope my list inspire you to make your own list – come on, challenge yourself!
Love
Thora
Women of Reverence welcomes Thora Haefliger as a guest contributor for this month.
Thora is married to Craig and they lead the One Life Somerset West Site.
After spending more than 18 years in Corporate Business, she felt led by God to come alongside her husband in their family business in 2010. After relocating to Somerset West in July 2021 God moved in miraculous ways and a church was planted in the gorgeous Helderberg Area.
Thora’s joy includes being a wife, mother and granny. She loves teaching and equipping women, especially enjoying the diversity that exists in God's girls. She is an avid crafter and DIY'er, using her creativity to upcycle, paint and decorate.