He makes the impossible become our possibilities...

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the food. I know people say their favorite part of the holiday is time with family, and while I absolutely love time with family, we get to see one another often. We don't wait until the holidays to get together. We are a celebratory bunch, so family meals happen many times during the year. But the one thing that I count as an extra blessing is to have in-laws that are a part of the family. Aaron and I are so fortunate to have families that are not only willing to spend the holidays together but get along well enough to do so. After all, isn't that how family should be? There shouldn't be this "we, us, them" aspect to family, and what a beautiful thing it is when families really love one another regardless of how long they've been together.

We all sat around the table tonight and enjoyed delicious food and good conversation. Sometimes it seems too easy, you know. The fact that we can join together and there be no hostility. The fact that we can all meet in one place without jealousy sneaking its way in. That its genuine and not forced. The fact that all hugs and smiles are given out of authenticity. Because the unfortunate thing is, this isn't always the case. Some people have a difficult time with their own families much less their in-laws. But then again, I don't know why I'm surprised. That was something I prayed for.

I remember thinking it was impossible. I rarely heard people speak highly of their in-laws. Usually, their in-laws were mentioned with eye rolling and a tone of irritation. And I had been in that boat. I understood. In fact, that was something I had to really consider when I entertained the idea of marriage. People always say, "You don't just marry that person, you marry the family." It's true, so true. And the truth was, I wanted the person I married to love my family as much I did. I also wanted to love their family, too. I wanted to be one of those people who didn't dread spending time with the in-laws. I knew it was possible because I had seen it modeled in my own family, but I started to think that maybe we were one of the lucky few. Maybe good family relations on both sides was a rare thing. But God heard my prayer for a Godly husband and Godly in-laws, and He was sure to answer.

God can do the impossible. Aren't you grateful for that? You know, sometimes we only think of "the impossible" in big terms. Conception from barrenness, healing from illness, life from death. But sometimes the impossible can be things like relationships. Things that should seem really easy but for some reason aren't. And no matter how hard you try, even when you don't want to, you just don't understand why it is the way it is. But God can do the impossible. And when we keep our eyes on Him, when we lay the impossible things in His hands, they become our possibilities. We realize that we can love one another even if we are different. We realize we can live in peace and unity even though we may not always have the same thoughts, ideas, or preferences. And we understand that the picture is so much bigger than what we can currently see. That these people God has given you are the ones that are there for the long haul. They're the ones who are going to love you no matter what. They're the ones who are going to be there for you in the good and the bad. The ones who will lend a helping hand, cheer you on, fight for you, cry with you, laugh with you, and celebrate all of God's goodness with you. These aren't just people. This is your family.

And so this year I am thankful for my family. For another year with all of them. For a year filled with God's blessings. I'm thankful that God has given us all more than we could ever deserve. That He has allowed us health and life and abundance in every form of the word. But most of all, I am grateful that He has given us one another. And what a beautiful thing to be a part of family who is all a part of God's family. A blessing beyond compare!