Thanksgiving 2022 was another one for the books! If you know me, you know how much I love the holidays, mainly because of our many family traditions and family time!
Thankfully, most of my family lives close and we all value traditions, so we have 3 meals between my two sides of the family. It makes for one happy heart!
My dad has used the phrasing before that being a part of a family is like Gospel reenactment on this side of Heaven. There is so much truth to that!
Humans all want to belong, and that belonging is fulfilled in some ways by the family each belongs in. There is an unconditional love and irreplaceability to your part of the family — just as there is an unconditional love and irreplaceability that prompted Jesus to come to Earth and save you!
I am so thankful for the ways in which my family reenacts the Gospel with unconditional love and irreplaceable belonging valuing faith, the pursuit to known Jesus, and to emulate love as He did.
Being fully known and fully loved.
Ultimately, no family is perfect, and never should be a replacement of Christ as He is the only one who perfectly loves. However, our attempt to emulate Christ’s love makes for a pretty great family!
We also are so thankful for our newest little addition coming to our family in April of next year. My oldest brother and his wife, my sis in-law, are expecting a baby GIRL, and I cannot wait to be aunt Katie! We are all over the moon and ready to spoil this precious gift from God!
Thanksgiving also gave me a nice surprise to be able to participate in all the family traditions as I was supposed to work a 12 hr nursing shift that day. I had fully prepared myself to miss my traditions for the ways in which God would use me to serve patients in the hospital. I trust God and His ordainment of the divine appointments set up when I get a patient assignment. I trust the Lord works through me in this way — and for that, I am honored and just as thankful.
However, I got put on call. I never had to go into work, and in some ways, I think the Lord knew I needed the family time. In whatever situation, fully trusting and surrendering to a power stronger and greater than me is the goal. It is never easy, and sometimes not seen as the favorable option — but God is still good and sovereign and may we cling to that!
It has been an incredible fall, capped with another great Thanksgiving, and now for all the Christmas festivities.
Some pictures of family! Two of my aunts are queens of pictures and selfies to capture our family gatherings so above are selfies with them as well!
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!
Love always,
Katie Girl
Katie Garrett. Nashville Native. Critical Care Nurse. Belmont University Alum. DNP Student. Enneagram 2w3. Reader. Writer. Starbucks Lover. Jesus makes my heart happy. Daughter. Sister. Sister in Law. Cousin. Niece. Forever indebted to Jesus Christ.
