A Letter of Thanks

I began writing this a few weeks back, not certain whether I would post it or not. It began as a letter to a handful of people in response to some things God has been teaching me. I wanted to express my gratitude for the influence each individual has had in my life. I've sort of become complacent by taking my blessings for granted. I'm living in the light of the love of my Heavenly Father, but I have forgotten how and why I've gotten here. I didn't find freedom on my own. There were several people that pointed me to the Lord. So, in a spirit of gratefulness, on this Thanksgiving Day, I am going to share this letter with all of you. 

To those who have sacrificed their time to pour into me: 

        I would like to share with you how yourself and others have impacted my life and pointed me towards Christ. To do so, I am going to define the basis of my faith, and I will describe to the best of my ability how incredible my God is. From the day of Adam and Eve's treacherous fall in the Garden of Eden, the human race has naturally inherited a sinful nature. Consequently, without divine intervention by Christ, we would be eternally separated from our Creator. However, I refuse to find contentment in being irrevocably doomed to an eternity without Christ because of the mistakes of my ancestors. I have chosen to be different and set apart. I am no longer dead in sin, instead, I have chosen life in Christ! I have been plucked from my sinful ways by the hand of an almighty God! Now, I am perfect in the eyes of the Lord because I have been washed by the blood of my perfect savior. As a child of God, I have been set apart from the world; I am no longer defined by sin in the past, present, or future. My strongest desires are no longer of the world, but of the Lord. I desire to seek His face daily, to live in a manor pleasing to Him, and to further His kingdom. The Lord constantly pours His blessings on me, and the least I can do is to come to Him with thanksgiving. So that is what I am doing now, showing thankfulness to those he has blessed me with. As most of you understand, while I am still living on this earth, I am not an exception to sin. I am a teenage girl living in a dark world which is unceasingly trying to pull me down into its darkness. There are many things being thrown at me, and I realize that my responses will influence my future. Being a Christian teenager in today's society is like trying to drive a car in a storm. I've chosen the road I want to take and I know my destination, but then life gets in the way. The rain pours down and hinders my vision, making it difficult to see the road. Satan tries to  prevent me from progressing forward in my journey by throwing distractions in front of me. There is no need for me to name the distractions because they are obvious. It is a constant struggle to keep sight of my destination while battling against evil distractions. Before I chose Jesus, I had no certain path to take, and navigating through the storms of life was nearly impossible. I neglected God's protection and guidance and instead turned to worldly refuge. Now however, having built my foundation in God's truth, I find my help in the Lord. His Word speaks life and truth into me, He has given me an incredible community of Christian brothers and sisters, and He offers protection and comfort all the time. Yes, I am a believer, yes, I have accepted God's gift of salvation, and yes, my greatest desire is to bring Him glory with everything I do, but no, I am not exempt from earthly struggles. I say all of that so that you may understand where I stand in life right now with my faith. Over the past several months the Lord has been teaching me to lift my gaze from my current circumstances and to look to Him. It has been an extremely hard lesson for me to learn, and I will probably always be learning it. God has taken me on a journey this past year into a world of unfamiliarity where I have had many opportunities to learn and grow, but I've also hit many bumps in the road. The trials that have accompanied this journey have not been easy. I've felt the pain of heartbreak, disappointment, and many different kinds of heart ache. I am still on this journey, and for how much longer I do not know, but I am choosing to fix my eyes on the Lord. He is changing my perspective and is giving me a spirit of gratitude and hope. Without you, encouraging, guiding, and comforting me throughout different times in my life so far, I would not be standing on a firm- faith based foundation. Thank you for allowing God to use you as His vessel to work in me. I love you, and I am forever grateful for your influence and sacrifices to point me to the Lord.

Much love,

AnnaLisa 

Below is a list of individuals that have sacrificed much of their time to pour into me. There are many others who I am also very grateful for, but these are some that stick out the most to me. 

My parents

Mrs. McCurry

Mrs. Penn

Mrs. Joiner 

Mrs. Gunter

Nikki Gentry

Mrs. Greer

Alex Alvarez 

Mary-Michael McCathren

Abby Henry

Frontline Missions

Mrs. Mercure

Gabby Rousse

Taylor Hendrix

Dina Dennis

Drew and Ashley Karschner

Katherine Gravitt