“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

Thankful Christmas

This is my favorite season of the year. The weather turns cool and crisp and the leaves cover everything including cats, dogs, small children, and our living room floor. Along with wind, rain, and leaves comes Thanksgiving Day, set aside for everyone to focus on thankfulness as a nation, to our God, for His provision.

A reminder of the day our forefathers stopped to do the same: On that celebrated first day of feasting, approximately 50 pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans joined together to thank God for the bountiful harvest. In remembrance of those who died in the scarcity days when they rationed five kernels of corn a day, Governor Bradford put five kernels of corn on everybody’s plate and asked everyone there to give him five things for which they were thankful for during that first year in Plymouth. Through much hardship, they remained deeply grateful. They believed that God was the provider of everything; therefore they owed everything to their Creator God, and Redeemer Jesus Christ.  Since they deserved nothing, for anything they had, they were thankful.

Ok, Thanksgiving Day is over, but wait! There’s more! Swiftly now, we move into the season of “shopping.” If we don’t move fast, we will miss the best prices on all the stuff we buy to put into next year’s garage sale. Hopefully, we do not move from a season of thankfulness into a season of greediness, but continue into the Christmas season, thankful for God’s gift to us: our Savior Jesus Christ, the reason for Christmas.

As quickly as it came, this season will be past and we will be busy about our new year. I guess that is my cue to wish you a very blessed 2020 enjoying God’s amazing love. “Amazing love, how can it be that Christ, My King, would die for me?”

Remember: life on earth is only a dot on a line that has no end. Make your dot count for Jesus and eternity. My 2020 goal is THANKFULNESS to God 24/7. Are you with me?

Ever wonder “How do I find God’s will for me?” Found it! Here it is:

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Paul also wrote to the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Lord, when my circumstances are not what I had hoped for or anticipated, help me not grumble and complain, or lose sight of all that You have provided for me, but to have a thankful heart at all times.