Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada and I have much to be thankful for. Life, health, a loving husband, four great children, their spouses, five beautiful grandchildren, friends, a warm place to live, food on the table, relative prosperity (compared to many in the world), freedom to worship God, my church, His Word… the list could go on!

One of the things I continue to be thankful for is the desire and ability to write, and the fact that there are a few of you out there who want to read what I’ve written! I think I would still be writing, even if I didn’t have an audience or a platform with which to share, but I am grateful that, after 34 years of plugging away, I have some tangible evidence. How grateful I am for every publisher, agent, and reader who has taken a chance on one of my manuscripts or plays! It has been ten years now, since my first book was published, and when I look back at the decade, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and amazement!

Of course, part of that journey included plenty of rejection and many steep learning curves. Again, I am so grateful for every bit of critique and criticism, since in the end it has made my writing stronger and it has made me stronger as a person. I am thankful for the friends I have made along the way, both online and in person. Over the years, I have been part of many forums, groups, and organizations and I am thankful for each and every one.

Of course, InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship is at the top of my list, but thank you, as well to The Word Guild, ACFW, and the many groups and forums that have come and gone, but which were so valuable in helping me connect and find my place within the writing community.

Most recently, a fellow writer and I started a fledgling writers’ group called ‘Ridge Writers’ in our town. We had our first real meeting last week. I think some folks who attended felt overwhelmed. I remember what it was like to have so much new information all at one time and to feel like a saturated sponge, not quite sure what to do next. I am thankful that I can impart some knowledge, but even more so, that I can still learn, for that’s what it’s really about. Continuing to learn and grow.

Finally, I am thankful that I can actually see to write. In February I had eye surgery. Thankfully, everything has turned out well, and I can see as well as I could before hand. (Better, actually.) There was no guarantee, however, that it would be so. I went through a season of temporary blindness about eleven years ago, so I am no stranger to the concept, but still, I am grateful that I don’t have to learn all the new technologies that would be necessary had I been forced to continue writing as a blind person.

So, with that final thought, may I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. May God bless you and yours bountifully. I know He has blessed me.