It is Thanksgiving! It is when we celebrate everything that we have and that we have been blessed with. However, this year, Thanksgiving is a bit different. Some of us may not be meeting with family. Some of us may not be traveling or having some of the same traditions occur.
This year it seems like much has been taken away. Some of us may have lost our jobs, lost a family member or friend, lost the ability to do something you love, etc. This is not what we would call a "normal year." It may not be a "normal year" but we all have a choice of what to do with this not so "normal year." We can choose to let it make us bitter or let it make us better.
There is incredible power in perspective. We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it. We can choose to react in anger or react with God and his plan in mind.
We also have control over our thankfulness. I do not know about you but this year more than ever I have been thankful for the little things. Many times, around thanksgiving we focus on what we are thankful for. Many times, we say we are thankful for a home, job, health, family, etc.
I am thankful for those things but this year I am more thankful for the little things. I am thankful for the way my dog is always excited to greet me when I come home, I am thankful for the little bit of time I got to spend coaching my High School goalies and my College players (shout out to Donegal and LBC players). I am thankful for how my mom is willing to listen to how my day went even if she is tired. I am thankful for my siblings who still enjoy playing games with me (I like playing board games). I am thankful for my co-workers who uplift me in hard times. I am thankful for my dad who can fix many of the things around the house when they break. I am thankful for Jesus who died on the cross for my sins so he could be with me. And believe it or not, in certain ways I am thankful for COVID.
You probably heard screeching tires there. I mean it, in certain ways I am thankful for COVID. In the past, I have written a blog about blessings where I say that blessings are not always what we would call "good things." Sometimes blessings are what we would call "bad things." Have "bad things" happened because of COVID? Yes, but have "good things" happened too? Yes! Again, it all depends on how we look at it.
Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Did you catch that? The Bible says, "in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him." So many times we forget this verse. Many times, we forget that God is working things for our good. He has a plan in the good and the bad. That is why we can be thankful in the good and the bad. That is why we can praise him in the good and the bad. That is why we can trust in him through COVID, through loss, through fear, through death, and through it ALL!
So, what is your perspective on this year? Does your perspective need to change? Are you thankful and trusting God in all things? How can you trust God more each day?
This year it seems like much has been taken away. Some of us may have lost our jobs, lost a family member or friend, lost the ability to do something you love, etc. This is not what we would call a "normal year." It may not be a "normal year" but we all have a choice of what to do with this not so "normal year." We can choose to let it make us bitter or let it make us better.
There is incredible power in perspective. We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it. We can choose to react in anger or react with God and his plan in mind.
We also have control over our thankfulness. I do not know about you but this year more than ever I have been thankful for the little things. Many times, around thanksgiving we focus on what we are thankful for. Many times, we say we are thankful for a home, job, health, family, etc.
I am thankful for those things but this year I am more thankful for the little things. I am thankful for the way my dog is always excited to greet me when I come home, I am thankful for the little bit of time I got to spend coaching my High School goalies and my College players (shout out to Donegal and LBC players). I am thankful for how my mom is willing to listen to how my day went even if she is tired. I am thankful for my siblings who still enjoy playing games with me (I like playing board games). I am thankful for my co-workers who uplift me in hard times. I am thankful for my dad who can fix many of the things around the house when they break. I am thankful for Jesus who died on the cross for my sins so he could be with me. And believe it or not, in certain ways I am thankful for COVID.
You probably heard screeching tires there. I mean it, in certain ways I am thankful for COVID. In the past, I have written a blog about blessings where I say that blessings are not always what we would call "good things." Sometimes blessings are what we would call "bad things." Have "bad things" happened because of COVID? Yes, but have "good things" happened too? Yes! Again, it all depends on how we look at it.
Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Did you catch that? The Bible says, "in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him." So many times we forget this verse. Many times, we forget that God is working things for our good. He has a plan in the good and the bad. That is why we can be thankful in the good and the bad. That is why we can praise him in the good and the bad. That is why we can trust in him through COVID, through loss, through fear, through death, and through it ALL!
So, what is your perspective on this year? Does your perspective need to change? Are you thankful and trusting God in all things? How can you trust God more each day?
Image from here.
If you would like to hear more about blessings check out this sermon (search "Beatitude Blessings" in the sermon search link on this website http://maytowncog.org/services.htm)
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