Cultivate a thankful heart....and repeat

My heart is stuffed this morning to the point of aching. Full to the brim. My life, how be it not perfect, is so so so where I need it to be.
I am thankful for unanswered prayers....
Although, I suppose that is not exactly what I mean because I don't believe for one millisecond that God doesn't answer our prayers... I believe every prayer we lift to Him gets answered in one way or the other. So I suppose, perhaps what I mean is that I am thankful for the prayers of mine that He has answered with a no.
No.
No.
As a child I despised this single syllable. For sure as a teen as well.
We think we know it all.
All wisdom is ours and in the pride and haughtiness of our youth we blast through life with a know-it-all attitude.
"I" know what's best for me!
"I" know what's best for you!
"I" know what's best in this situation as well.
Thank you....my precious Jesus....my patient, so patient friend.....for being the one who stands up to my pride and states matter-of-factly, " NO, you do NOT know what's best Tami!....I do. "
Insert long thankful and contented sigh....
I would've traded what was precious for what is cheap years ago if He had let me have my way. My heart would've given into the confusion and deception if it were not for His love, His bottomless Grace, His Word and His life experience that far surpasses mine....by some eternal number of years that are uncountable.
So here is a thank you note given from my heart to the feet of Jesus.
Me coming boldly to the throne of Grace and saying a simple but not-so-simple....Thank you my Father in Heaven for teaching me that the word no is not a curse nearly as often as it is interpreted as such. I cannot put into words how much your wisdom, that sees through past, present as well as future time, means to me. Thank you from the deepest part of my soul for knowing what is best for me and loving me enough to say no.
I will never stop loving you and serving you, even unto death.
You are my Lord and King.....and best friend.