Thanksgiving 2023

 Thanksgiving 2023

It's that time again. Another year. Another day where we have set aside time to gather with friends and family and be thankful for all you have. It amazes me that some people,

1- Have no idea who to be thankful to.

2- What to be thankful for.

3- How to be thankful.

First, God. Plain and simple. Without God, we would not even be. Think about that. Your life. Without Him, you would not even exist to be thankful for anything.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:13-17

You are not an accident. God knew you before your mother knew your father.

“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30

He has a plan and a purpose for you and your life. You are here for a reason. Be thankful He created you and gave you this life. Born when and where you were, how you were, to whom you were. I know I know, not all of us have had a rosey, happy, childhood. Some suffered. Some struggled. That was not God. However, God has, or is trying to, set you free from that. He made the way.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:16-18

From Life to life everlasting, and all things in between, be thankful to God always. Without Him, none of us would ever even have been here in the first place. Without Him, we would all perish together in a place of suffering and death. Without Him, we would have nothing. Be thankful in the very fact you exist, and you are loved, and you are saved from death itself. Everything else is temporal. Remember, God is here tomorrow as well. Give Him thanks daily.

Here is a prayer if you would like to pray along these words.

“Heavenly Father,

We gather today to give You thanks for all Your many blessings.

We thank You for the gift of life, and for the opportunity to experience all that You have created.

We thank You for the food we eat, prepared with love by our hands and the hands of others.

We thank You for the home we live in, a place of safety and comfort.

We thank You for our family and friends, who enrich our lives with their love and support.

Most of all, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ. He is our Savior and Redeemer, and through Him, we have eternal life.

As we enjoy this Thanksgiving meal, help us to remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves. May we be generous with our time and resources, and work to make the world a better place for all.

Guide us in our lives, Lord, and help us to live in accordance with Your will. May our hearts be filled with gratitude for all that You have given us.

In Jesus' name, amen.”

May you all have a Happy and bountiful Thanksgiving. May God be with you all. Always.