Author:  Maria Alfano-Huggins

As I sit here staring at the majestic Pacific Ocean, watching the tide ebb and flow, I can’t help but be mesmerized by its beauty and I am immediately filled with gratitude for God’s magnificent plan.

He is the ultimate mastermind and it all comes from a place of love.

In all this beauty I can’t help but wonder if I have fulfilled God’s plan for me.  I have led a full life with ups and downs.  Frankly who hasn’t?  So I asked myself, “Self, have you delivered on your promise to live a full, humble, and graceful life?”

My hope with this post is that all of you give yourselves the grace to recognize how important you are in God’s plan, and here in this life your were so amazingly and wonderfully given.

Gratitude for God’s Magnificent Plan

Many of you may have asked these questions dozens of times over the years and maybe even more frequently as the years slipped through your fingers with a batt of an eyelash:

What makes up God’s plan for all of us?

God’s plan for us started with the creation of human life.  He then taught us how to live our lives; through scriptures and examples. Lastly, He reminds us that there is a place at his table for everyone.

What is God’s plan for me?

Truthfully, I believe that God speaks to us in subtle ways.  Through dreams, through unexpected thoughts, and through that gut feeling that we just can’t seem to shake, this is God nudging us towards His plan.

How do I recognize this is His plan for me?

Listen to the nagging feeling that just won’t leave you alone.  If you are called to feed the poor, write a book, switch jobs, or simply take the time to pray, this is the Higher Power calling upon you.

Gratitude for Life

I was born in a small mountain town in southern Italy.  My mother jokes that there were more chickens than people living in that little village.  I can’t help but be filled with joy when I step foot into that tiny place.  Overcome with emotions, I realize that this is where God’s plan for me began. This was really just the beginning.

My journey took me to a brand new country clear across the Atlantic Ocean.  I had no idea then (mainly because I was just a baby) how much this move would impact my life.

I grew up in Canada with a culture very different from Italy and a language that my parents did not know.  TV became my English teacher and my friend until I started school. Honestly, I had no idea what I was hearing, I simply repeated the words I heard my favorite cartoon characters speak. And yet, my bratty toddler self managed to hit the terrible twos with a vengeance.  If not for the grace of God and the patience He bestowed on my parents, who knows how my life would have turned out.

Family

You have all heard the saying, “You cannot choose your family.”  We can’t however, God did.  And, I would not have chosen a different one for myself.  How could I?  God gave me my amazing parents who spent their lives in a new country only to give us a better life.  My parents were blessed with two more little girls, my sisters who have grown into strong, wonderful women that I admire with my whole heart and soul.

Have we always gotten along?  Heck no!  What family doesn’t have its quirks??  Ultimately, what matters is the love we share for each other.  This is a bond that cannot be broken, a bond strengthened through God’s plan for all of us.

Marriage

My biggest goal in life was to be a wife and mother.  Yes, I had a career but that was secondary to being a mom and wife.  While my first marriage did not last, two beautiful humans were created as a result of that.  I knew there was an ulterior motive for that failure.  God needed me to see what it meant to be with a good man, in a healthy and loving relationship that could withstand the trials and responsibilities that come with having a strong bond with another person.

I was young and thought I knew what love was.  Sadly, I didn’t.  I confused true love with misguided affection.  That was no way to start a life with someone else.  The downs in that partnership far outweighed the ups and the point came when that gut feeling overwhelmed me.  It was time to cut my losses.

I prayed to God to send me someone who was spiritual, kind, loving, stable, lets not to forget, tall, dark, and handsome.  He delivered once my heart was open to receiving again. I met my current husband more than 23 years ago and I never looked back.

Grateful for my children

A mother can never express enough gratitude for her children. I am no different.

In 1990, I became a mother for the first time.  I knew then that God was fulfilling the dream of being a mom that he planted in my heart.  All you moms reading this will resonate with the overwhelming joy that filled my heart that day.  I thought it was going to burst right out of my chest when I met my son for the first time.  I could not contain the happiness.  What a blessing.

In 1993, I became a mother for the second time.  While my marriage was in shambles, I was blessed with  precious little girl.  I prayed for a little girl.  I prayed so hard that I was afraid to ask when she was born, if it was a boy or a girl. God knew what He was doing. He gave a best friend for life.

I know I will never win any mother of the year awards but I can say this, as I am certain many of you can, “no one will ever love my children as much as I do.” They are the two good things I have done in my life.  But, I cannot take any of the credit.  This was all God’s doing.  He kept them safe even when I stumbled.

I am humbled by the amazing adults my children have become.  I continue to pray that all their dreams come true – spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, and in love.

Gratitude for my Retirement Journey

My personal journey has taken me all over the world – both for work and personally.  My husband and I love to travel and we have visited places near and far.  None of this would be possible without the hand of God.  He has blessed us in ways I never imagined.  Now we can live our sunsets in spectacular lands, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Growing young with the love of my life is the ultimate plan that God had for me.  We have reached the point in our lives that gratitude for God’s plan is how we start each morning and several times throughout the day.  Like many of you, we made it this far in life and cannot help but marvel that life has taken this long and winding road in what feels like the snap of a finger.

Having said that, we still have a lot of life left in us and we plan to make the most of it every single day.  Remember, retirement is not the end of something, it is the beginning of something new.  Embrace it and take pleasure in all the moments to come.

In Summary – Gratitude for God’s Plan

Every journey is filled with ups and downs.  The ups are the reward for learning important life lessons from the downs.  No matter which way you twist and turn it, nothing would happen if it weren’t for the gratitude you express for the plan God has designed for your life.

Maybe not all your dreams will come true but the most significant ones will. Or, maybe dreams you never knew you had will come true instead.  If you listen to the little voice deep in the hollows of your belly, you will hear God’s voice saying this dream is yours reach out and get it.  It may not be an easy task to accomplish.  Don’t give up.  He would not have shown it to you if you should not have it.

My dream of being a good mom and a good wife took nearly 60 years to come true.  I can only hope that my children see how much I love them and that they can forgive me for when I was not at my best.  I pray that my husband sees my how happy he makes me and that perhaps I give him a smidgeon of that in return.

Don’t let regrets suck away your spirit.  Keep a grateful heart and mind and you can accomplish anything in life.  Remember, it’s never too late.

 

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all images from Canva