Happy Thanksgiving to Kent, Henry, Brent, and to our all of our AWS Forum family. As our society becomes increasingly secular, the actual “giving of thanks to God” during our annual Thanksgiving holiday is being overlooked, leaving only the feast itself. May God grant that he may find us grateful every day for all of his gifts, both spiritual and material. I got to thinking about how Thanksgiving might be so much more meaningful if I focused on thanking God for the things he rarely hears thanks for, so I’m going to try something a little different this year. I’m not just going to thank him for our food and for all the blessings for this past year, I’m also going to thank him for all the ways he hasn't performed according to my liking. I’m going to thank him for all the times he said “no” and for all the ways he worked in and through my life without me even knowing it. I’m going to thank him for all the unresolved issues and the ways I’m still waiting for answers. I’m going to thank him, regardless, as I offer him a heart of obedience and surrender this year. I'm going to thank him for the food we'll eat, and thank him for his many blessings on us this past year...the ones we've seen, as well as the ones we haven't seen. I'm going to thank him for the times he said “no”, as they have helped us depend on him so much more. I'm going to thank him for unanswered prayers because it reminds us that he knows what's best for us, even when our opinion differs. I'm going to thank him for the things he's withheld, which protected us from things that we may have never realized. I'm going to thank him for the doors he's closed, because they prevented us from going somewhere he would rather not have us go. I'm going to thank him for the physical pain he's allowed in our lives. It helped us more closely relate to his sufferings on our behalf. I'm going to thank him for the alone times in our lives. Those times have forced us to lean in closer to him. I'm going to thank him for the uncertainties we've experienced, which have deepened our trust in him. I'm going to thank him for the times he came through for us when we didn't even know we needed help. I'm going to thank him for the losses we’ve experienced. They've been a reminder that he is our greatest gain. I'm going to thank him for the tears we’ve shed, as they’ve kept our hearts soft and moldable. I'm going to thank him for the times we haven't been able to control our circumstances. They’ve reminded us that he is sovereign and on the throne. I'm going to thank him for his ability to take what we consider a “tragedy” and turn it into a treasure. I'm going to thank him for those he's called home to be with him. Their absence from this earth reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on heaven. I'm going to thank him that we have an inheritance in the heavenly places... something that this world can never steal from us and we could never selfishly squander. I'm going to thank him for the greatest gift he could ever give us... forgiveness through his perfect son's death on the cross on our behalf. I'm going to thank him for the righteousness he credited toward us, through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's a righteousness we could never attain to on our own. I'm going to thank him not only for our eternal salvation, but for the salvation he affords us every day of our lives as he saves us from ourselves, our foolishness, our own limited insights, and our frailties in light of his power and his strength. I'm going to thank him for all that he's allowed and all that he's not allowed in our lives this past year. And finally, I'm going to thank him that we can pray to him in the name of Jesus Christ, who made our access to him, and who made a personal relationship with him, possible.
There may only be one Thanksgiving Day a year, but it’s important to give thanks to God every day. Let God read our lips as we give thanks to him continuously. In the good times, as well as the bad. In the pleasantries of life, as well as in the pain. During difficult times, trying times and frustrating times, too.
Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless all of you.
Hi Kent,
