An Overwhelmed [Thankful] Heart Earlier this week I [Karen] was - TopicsExpress

An Overwhelmed [Thankful] Heart Earlier this week I [Karen] was attempting to put together a mental “thankful” list and in the process became overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed by all the picture perfect Facebook posts of homes decorated for the Holidays with presents already bought and wrapped. I was overwhelmed by the sadness of my students who stared at the doors during Family Day lunch waiting on a parent who would never show up. I was overwhelmed by everything I would have lost if Stephen had not survived his heart failure last spring. Truly a cornucopia of feelings and thoughts flooded my heart that I felt a bit paralyzed from fear and sadness. As I shared my feelings with Stephen, we decided together, we would work on saying “thank you”. Thank you to so many people who have touched our lives in small and big ways, with a simple text, encouraging word, a smile, or their quiet presence of support. Our reflections of gratitude caused the overwhelming feelings of fear to melt away. We were encouraged by the Psalmist’s declaration: “Oh, thank God—he’s so good! His love never runs out” (Psalm 107:1). Through our reflection, we want to express heartfelt thanks. First, we are grateful to our families who have celebrated with us during the good times and comforted us during the hard times. We are thankful for their gracious encouragement, prayers, and love that have been extended through words, generosity, and beautiful acts of service during our darkest days. Second, we want to say thank you to so many people who have chosen to make 7 City Church their home. You are family. While we know some of you better than others, we are grateful for each person who worships the living Christ with us each Sunday. We are grateful for an amazing team of volunteers who serve every week. Every smile, handshake, and act of service from our greeters, ushers, café, parking, and next steps teams is making a difference. The early mornings from our band, media, and IT teams make it possible for people to find hope in each service. Each expression of love from our 7 City Kids and 7 City Students teams is shaping a new generation who will ultimately shape the future of society. Each Community Group leader is creating an environment where people can build friendships and grow in their faith. We are grateful for so many who serve faithfully, love fully, and invest intentionally every week at 7 City. We are thankful for an amazing staff, Klen Kuruvilla & Audrey Kuruvilla, Timothy Jurjevich, Michael Laymon & Kris Jobe Laymon, and Matt Garcia. We are beyond grateful for each team member’s passion for God, hard work, and commitment to 7 City’s vision. We are grateful for the extraordinary generosity of 7 City Church. This has been a milestone year as 7 City has completely paid off its mortgage and remodeling debt. And thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours have been donated to missions and culture transformation efforts locally and globally. Third, we are thankful to Pastor Darius L Johnston and Cindy Brock Johnston and Christ Church for their incredible support, encouragement, wisdom, and insight that have allowed us to not only launch strong, but aggressively move forward with our vision. Finally, our hearts are especially filled with thanks for so many people who loved us through the most difficult season of our lives. As I [Stephen] fought for my life after encountering simultaneous heart failure and pulmonary failure, hundreds of people prayed, loved, served, and encouraged us beyond anything we could ever imagine. Words are not enough to say thank you to our family, friends, and 7 City Church. As I [Ashley] reflect on this year, I’m reminded of the words: “Take time to be thankful for everything that you have. You can always have more, but you can also have less.” That is how I felt when my dad was in the hospital. I gained greater perspective for what is most important in life, and today my heart is filled with gratitude in a more special way. The apostle Paul wrote, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Through the good times and the hard times, God is good. When life doesn’t make sense, God is faithful. This Thanksgiving, our hearts are full as we celebrate Him and remember His goodness. Happy Thanksgiving! Stephen, Karen, and Ashley