A Life of Gratitude

 Over the past several days, I have been in awe of the the gorgeous colors of fall. I simply cannot get enough of all the trees and leaves. Yesterday, as I was basking in the the incredible scenery, I felt God whisper to my heart, "Autumn reveals how necessary change is and how beautiful it can be." Regardless of who you are or where you live or what you do, change is a part of everyone's life from time to time. Things just don't stay the same forever. It could be a job, a relationship, a health concern, or any other circumstance of life, but we can be sure that change is something we all deal with.  So many times we are opposed to change. We often fear leaving what we know and facing something new. Sometimes we are truly hurt by a person or situation. God may have allowed it because He knew it was necessary for change to occur in order for us to continue growing into the person He created us to be. Over the past year I have experienced change in many ways. My family

  This morning I visited a special lady in the nursing home. It's been a long time since I've seen her because of Covid restricitions. Nana is my husband's grandmother but she always referred to me her as granddaughter. She's been a part of my life for 25 years and I believe we've had a special connection, especially since all of my grandparents passed away years ago. Seeing her physical condition sadden my heart but when I sat down beside her and said her name, she looked right at me and smiled. I spent time reading scripture and singing hymns to her. I'm not sure if she knew who I was but I know my presence brought her peace and joy.  I read 2 Corinthians 2:9 to her which says, “ No eye has seen, no ear has heard,      and no mind has imagined  what God has prepared   for those who love Him. ” After reading that verse I looked at her and said, "You have so much to look forward to, don't you!?" Her eyes widened and she smiled the biggest smile. It