Extraordinary Thanksgiving and the Blessing of a Heavy Heart

I have prayed for Makenzy and Mallory since before they were born.  Many of these prayers have been for their health, for their safety, that they would long for a relationship with the Lord, and that they would know their unmeasured value in His sight.  Through the years, as our family prepared for full time ministry and as we set out for the international mission field, one of the most consistent petitions I have lifted up on their behalf has been for protected hearts.  Inspired by Proverbs 4:23, this prayer even became a common request when people kindly asked how they could pray for us. 

In one week, the life that our family has known for the past several years will be over.  The ministry here in Guatemala has been a family venture and my girls have been “all in” from the start.  They have had amazing experiences, willingly jumped into unusual opportunities and simply been resilient through the many ups and downs of being an MK (missionary kid).   They will now have to transition from being teachers, translators, leaders and caregivers, to whatever roles the Lord has waiting for them next.  While we are trying to encourage them about the gains that can be found in a willingness to follow wherever the Lord leads, many things in this transition feel like a loss in their hearts. 

Like most people, this time of year inspires me to reflect and be actively thankful.  In years past, I have been thankful for health, safety and a relationship with the Lord in addition to many other answered prayers and unexpected blessings.  This year, my reflection has brought about extraordinary thanksgiving.  This year, I find myself being grateful for heavy hearts.  Rather than feeling like my girls were unprotected during this last phase of our story, I realize that they have been overwhelmingly blessed.  God made it possible for a foreign country to become their home, gave them a passion for the ministry we have been doing and a love for the people we have been serving. He allowed them to identify and use their gifts at an early age and gave them the opportunity to be role models and friends for children who needed them.  He has provided friendships that will be missed and opened their hearts to enable a stranger to become their sister.  This year, I am thankful because I realize heavy hearts represent life change, spiritual growth, that my girls have learned and that they have truly loved.  

This Thanksgiving I realize that offering thanks can be more than acknowledging answered prayers and that my former definition of a protected heart is overrated.  This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to reflect on how God has transformed your heart in the midst of your life throughout the year (regardless of what you requested).  How has He transformed your perspective and made you more like him?  While I still believe that our hearts can be responsible for “determining the course of life” (NLT), I now realize that having a “protected” heart may not be the answer to preparing us for the next part of our story or equipping us to represent Him well.  Next year, rather than protecting your heart, cautiously guard how your heart is affected by life’s experiences, be open to unusual opportunities and prepare to offer extraordinary thanksgiving in the years to come.