TIME TO GIVE THANKS

              In many ways, Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday. Many people rush past Thanksgiving in their headlong plunge into the Christmas shopping frenzy. For many people, Thanksgiving is just a day to overeat and watch football. When you leave God out of the Thanksgiving picture, it does seem to be rather hollow. Because there is confusion about the true meaning of Thanksgiving, some people have substituted a new tradition called Friendsgiving; a time to celebrate your friends.

                Being thankful is one of the things that the Bible repeatedly challenges us to do. In the Psalms alone, we are challenged to give thanks 20 times. In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he tells us that thankfulness is at the heart of God’s will. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

   

                As I have been reflecting on Thanksgiving, I have been aware of so many things for which I am thankful to God. Let me share with you a short list of things I want to give thanks to God for.

                Having been prompted recently to think about my experiences in Ukraine, I am reminded of things I take for granted every day. I am thankful for central heating, paved roads, indoor plumbing, and fully stocked grocery stores.

                This year, Suanne and I will be traveling to Michigan to spend Thanksgiving with our family. I am thankful for a reliable car that will transport us from the frozen tundra of North Dakota to the less frozen sands of Western Michigan. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with our two grandsons. I am thankful that our entire family will be together.

                I am thankful for 31 years of ministry at Bethel Baptist Church in Mankato, MN. I am thankful for the lessons that God has taught me along the way about what it means to be a pastor. I am thankful that God has been patient with me as I have grown in my faith and in my skill as a pastor. I am thankful for all of the people I have been able to invest in spiritually and all of the people who have invested in me. I am thankful that God allowed me to invest the vast majority of my ministry in one place.

                I am thankful for the opportunity to continue doing ministry in Cavalier, ND. I am thankful for a church that desires to grow in their faith and in their influence in the community. I am thankful for people who have embraced us and made us feel at home in a new environment.

                I am thankful that I have free access to the Bible. I am thankful that the Bible is God’s living word, which speaks into my life. I am thankful that the Bible is relevant in every culture and to every generation.

                I am thankful for my wife, Suanne, who has been my partner in life and in ministry. She has made me a better person and a better pastor.

                Above all, I am thankful that I am a child of God, through my faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for me on the cross of Calvary.

Hebrews 12:28

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,