What Are You Thankful For?
by Jacob Thomsen
As we enter November, I like to think about things that I am grateful for. Thanksgiving, which is only a few weeks away, is not only a wonderful holiday, but a great reminder for us to stop and think about the things that we’ve been given.
Of course, everyone’s list differs in many ways, but there are many things that most people will have on their list in common. Many of us are thankful for our families, health, a place to live, etc. It’s incredibly important that we don’t take these things for granted.
There are plenty of personal things that we’re all thankful for as well, and I’d like to talk about some of the personal things that fall into this category.
First and foremost, I am thankful for God and the ways He changed me when I was saved. I was saved in 2020 (a story for another time) and there were a lot of things that changed within me in those moments. One of the biggest changes I noticed was a deeper appreciation for beauty. I started to notice the beauty in everyday moments that I hadn’t before. I noticed the beauty of the clouds in the sky, the leaves on the trees, the way the wind blew through the grass, and much more. It was as if the world changed around me. It was truly an amazing thing.
Another thing He did in me that I’m thankful for was to allow me to feel and experience deeper emotions. This may sound a bit weird, but God made me emotional. Before I knew Christ, I was hardened to my emotions and was striving for what some would stereotypically call manhood – not expressing emotions and trying to be “hard.” God softened my heart and now I cry more, laugh more, and feel things in a deeper way, and I’m incredibly thankful for it.
Something else I am thankful for is football. Now, this is not a superficial statement saying that I enjoy watching football. I played football for 14 years of my life and it taught me things I’m not sure I would have learned anywhere else. It taught me resilience. When I look in the face of adversity, I know that I can stand up to it with God’s help. It taught me that preparation is very important going into a battle. I’ve spent countless hours studying opponents and trying to understand what they would do to win a game. That has translated into this career quite well because I have learned that studying the opposition’s side of a bill is just as important as forming our own arguments.
Above all, football taught me hard work. Hard work leads to a reward in and of itself. We may not have won every game, but looking back on my football career, I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing I worked very hard towards a goal, and I had several people around me working toward that same goal. I played football for nearly two-thirds of my life up until this point. To many, it may just be a sport; to me, it has been a formative teacher that has guided me through life and taught me some incredibly important lessons. I am truly grateful that God gave me the ability and opportunity to play football.
The thing that I am most thankful for is God’s hand on my life. As I look back through the years, I can now see His guidance in getting me to where I am now. I came to Bismarck to go to school and (more importantly at the time) to play football. I would not be in the position I am today without those opportunities afforded to me through the grace of God. I’m thankful that before I knew Him, He had a plan for me.
There are so many more things to be thankful for. I’d encourage you to look at the things around you and the things you’ve been given. Remember that everything is a gift. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’ll ask you, what are you thankful for?