Last year for the month of November each day leading up to Thanksgiving I listed something I was thankful for. This year I took the challenge again. Most of us can compare lists and they may be seemingly identical.
- We are thankful for our health.
- Our family
- Our jobs
- Our homes.
A few days ago I was disturbed when I heard the very familiar Christmas song, Santa Clause is coming tonight. I am in no way anti-Santa however when the line said "Let's give thanks to the Lord above because Santa clause comes tonight, I was sad to think that on Christmas eve that is what one would be giving thanks for.
This year as I reflected on my journey of 2013 I came at it from another perspective, one that should flow more natural than the ordinary daily thanks we have.
I find it interesting that when you are in a circle of Christian friends and the question is asked "What are you most thankful for" there comes a silence. Again that common realities and gratitude we all share are easily shared without much reflection in our answers. I suspect it is because we don't live in a society that prompts us to ponder the generosity of God very often.
Thanksgiving is quickly being squeezed between Halloween and Christmas becoming nothing more than a day to feast and make shopping lists for Black Friday.
This month as I began to reflect I challenged myself to think of Gods generosity.
I am thankful for the believers he has put in my path. Those who feed my soul, who teach me truths, truths I want to know before I meet the author of all truth.
I am thankful for the privilege to share this Christ- life journey with so many believers. Their spiritual maturity challenges me.
I am thankful for those I worship with, many with humble character, the living out of their faith evident to fellow believers and non-believers alike. I am filled each time I see the truths of God translated in those living truths.
I am thankful for the word and all the truths it teaches. I am thankful that the Lord chose me to fall in love with. I am thankful that it is by His grace and not my works that I will spend eternity with him.
I began to think about the physical fullness we all likely will feel on Thanksgiving. I wondered how many of us will be as concerned about our spiritual fullness. Will we do our daily devotions and call it good for the day or will be too busy for that?
I know that I will likely eat more than the feast served at dinner time, revisiting the kitchen for the much loved left overs, but will I revisit the spiritual cupboard?
Philippians 4:11-12
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Paul says "both to be full and hungry"
Philippians 4:18-19
I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice. pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.
Paul looks at the whole picture seeing how God has worked through everything and would supply the needs for those at Philippi. Paul was not making a list, he examined the whole of how God was working and supplying and Paul was full.
I really don't think there is anything wrong with making out lists of what we are thankful for (in fact 2 worldly things that made my list- Hot soup and my Hot tub)I just didn't feel challenged enough, I didn't feel "full". The obvious would always be on my list leaving out those which require more thought, dedication and discipline to be a follower of Christ. When you see a beautiful sunset and you are thankful for it, extend your true thanks to Christ.
Being a follower requires us to be thankful for the things that we never put on our lists. personally I have never made a list with suffering on it. Have I suffered? Yes. Paul said "to suffer need". We put those things at the back of our thoughts and never on our lists but that is how God takes care of us. It is those times that we should be most thankful, those times we should feel most Blessed the Lord is in the center of our suffering and our needs when I put that into perspective I am so thankful.
How full are you?
When you sit down this thanksgiving will you serve rolls or will you serve the bread of life?
As a child, it is likely we can all identify with the numerous times we had heard or read "Do not open till Christmas". I know for me it left an excitement of anticipation. It leads us down the road of wonder. I wonder what it is, I wonder who it's from, I wonder what is so special about it that directions are attached to NOT open.
Each year I prepare for the Christmas season with every one's wish list. While I do find joy in fulfilling the lists it brings me greater joy in making a gift. The thought behind my gifts are really nothing extraordinary. After my Children were grown and married I made them each a shadow box, in it I put their christening outfits and a picture of them wearing it and then wrote what they meant to me. Another year I took my sons Old rusted Tonka truck and sanded it down and repainted it again and attached a picture of him when he was a child sitting in his truck. Sappy but that's me and I know that it means a lot to them.
This year the lists came in and no one had 1. A sappy, sentimental gift from mom. BUT I know if I don't have one they will miss it. These are the gifts I am most excited for them to open. These are the ones that are worthy of the "Do not open till Christmas tag".
After I decided what I was going to do- (sorry can't tell you yet) I took great joy in the doing. Whenever I work on these projects I am filled with an overwhelming love. Recently I was working on them and I thought about God and his gifts. I thought how ironic that our gift giving is so secretive, and His is so filled with promise.
I started thinking about the season and the true meaning and I wondered how many people do not know of that promise. The Bible is full of verses about His Gifts, yet for many it stays closed like those, "Do not open till Christmas" gifts. Some May bring him out on the Sunday before Christmas when they go to a services to "get in the spirit" or choose a church to go for a Christmas eve services because it is tradition. At Christmas dinner they may even say a prayer. At the end of the day He is quietly packed away in the "Do not open till Christmas box" to be opened again the following year.
I felt sad that the greatest gift anyone of us can ever receive is a gift not always accepted.
The bible is filled with Gifts from our father;
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
Romans 12:6
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them
Romans 8: 38-39 (The gift here is so obvious, NOTHING can separate us from the gift of His love)
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (The ultimate gift, He gave his life for us.)
These gifts here, they are not meant to be unopened until Christmas. There is excitement in getting HIS gifts everyday.
Accept this gift with a card attached "Please open before Christmas".
