O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness. — Shakespeare
These words succinctly express why giving thanks to God is absoultely essential and right. Everything of which our lives consist, our Lord provides in spite of the fact that we don't deserve all of His good. Psalm 136:1-3 gives insight: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endoures forever.”
It is the limitless love of our Creator that enables us to receive the bountiful blessings that we benefit from in so many ways. In this Thanksgiving season our hearts should be filled with thankfulness, choruses of thankful praise should ring out from the depths of our being, we should be immersed in an attidute of gratitude for all of God's goodness toward us.
This is also a time to remember those sisters and brothers at home and abroad who are less fortunate than we are. Those who go to bed hungry and wake up cold, those who struggle daily with illness and poor health, those who are prisoners of addiction, those who suffer violence at the hands of the ones who should love and protect them, families that wander from place to place as a result of losing their home.
Show your appreciation for all of the blessings you have received by being a blessing to someone in need. In a summation of his parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus spoke: “The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'.” Bear this in mind as you seek to make a difference in the life of someone destitute.
As Christians, we should not view Thanksgiving as the holiday leading up to the Christmas shopping season. It is the time to pause the hustle and bustle of our lives and give thanks and honor to God.
May you experience joy, peace, and happiness as you gather with family and friends to share a meal, share stories, and share love together.
Eugene James
Regional Minister
