Even in 2020
Hi friends,
Happy Wednesday! Can you believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving? Today I’m super excited to have Toni Shiloh guest posting. I met Toni a number of years ago when I spoke at the ACFW-Virginia conference. We’ve stayed in touch since and we have the blessing of sharing a very sweet mutual friend. Welcome, Toni!
Even in 2020…
It’s the month of Thanksgiving and thankfulness might feel strange to have in the year 2020.
Being thankful. Having gratitude. Experiencing any form of joy really.
I mean, after all, this is 2020. A year that brought us a pandemic that doesn’t seem to be accepting its eviction notice. The year that made us want to avoid the news and anything negative. You know those repeat hurricanes, an election year, crazy hornets (I didn’t dream those up, did I?).
When Dani asked if I wanted to share a blog post with y’all, I thought sure. I’d be happy to share my thoughts and then I realized I couldn’t think of anything to say. So I thought, prayed, thought some more, and prayed some more. Through it all, one verse kept coming to mind that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with:
Then it hit me. I do have something to say, and something to be thankful for.
You see on the surface, 2020 has been a pretty horrific year for all the reasons I stated above and the ones I skipped over. But when I take stock of my life, my family, the friendships I have, my writing journey, all I can say is “thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” And honestly, I think gift should be plural.
God never stops at one, does He? We could thank Him for the gift of Jesus, for our salvation, and that would be enough to fill a blog post. But when I take the time to think of the little things, those things that have been deep seated in my heart that I was afraid to give voice to because I didn’t think they would happen, those gifts quickly add up and I really, truly do feel thankful.
Because I have a God that loved me enough to bless me with Jesus as my Savior. A God who loved me enough to not stop there. He blessed me with a husband (we hit 15 years this past June), two beautiful boys (that make me laugh all the time), friends (who weep when I weep, laugh when I laugh), a writing career that amazes me every single day (hello, Bethany House 2-book contract!!), books to read (have you read the amazing authors who write for this blog?), and so much more.
This week, I plan on being more intentional with feeling gratitude. Before 2020 ends, I want to be able to make a list of all the gifts God blessed me with this year. I want to remind myself that even in 2020, when it seems to rain cats and dogs, God is still good.
Tell me three things you’re really thankful for this year. Oh and I’ll pick one lucky commentator to win one of my print books of your choice (that includes international if the book is available on Book Depository. If not, e-book for international entrants).
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist and Risking Love is a 2020 Selah Award finalist.
A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to help readers find authors. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at http://tonishiloh.com.
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