As I pause to make this latest post, I imagine families in the USA travelling near and far to gather for Thanksgiving soon. I can almost smell the turkey and feel the after dinner bloating and snoozing during college football.
Despite all the craziness of this past year... losing loved ones, saying goodbye, new leaders in several nations, a national and global economic melt down, wars and rumours of wars - I am still beyond thankful for life and love.
As you read this... stop for a moment and think about what you can thank God for! Sure, there are circumstances and fears and tragedies in our lives that cause us to often be angry at God, or in extreme cases deny that He is loving or even exists. But put that aside for a moment and reflect on your life. Did you wake up today with breath in your lungs? Do you have food in your stomach? Do you have cloths for your back? Do you have indoor plumming? A refridgerator? iPod? Cell phone? Computer? TV?
I could go on, but over the past year I have been reminded that rather than being thankful, I am a whiner! Even though I've learned to make due on very little and my home is falling apart a bit like an old car that needs maintenance, I still hear my own voice saying, "I want a better house. I want a husband. I want a Lexus. I, Me, My..."
I am thankful that God has called me to this life. Every day I wake up in a beautiful place, in the comfort of my own home, with the sounds of the Tui bird haunting me. I am greeted everyday by the love and smiles of people from many nations. I am sorry that I am such a whiner!
So in keeping with the season, I encourage you to reflect on all that you have been given. And, if things have been taken away (and this year that has included 401K$, money, loved ones, jobs, etc.) stop for a moment and realise - you are still alive! Thank God for the strength He has given you to survive the hardships. I want to encourage you with this passage from the Bible (James 1:2-12):
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do. 9 Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements. God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
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