This is my first blog so it’s appropriate to focus on “Gratitude and thanksgiving.” I am grateful that I can engage in this new adventure. At eighty years old, I am learning how to create a website to connect with you.
Thanksgiving Day is gone for 2020. Many people were be able to celebrate because of separation from loved ones and couldn’t travel to be with them. I hope that you felt blessed in spite of the situation.
The world was suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic. Several hurricanes, a general election and other situations added to the pain and misery of many.
That is why I felt motivated to write this. I hope you will find some comfort and relief to know that my family and I identify and empathize with you. We have learned how to cope and triumph over these circumstances. I want to help you do the same.
Trials and tribulations, suffering and pain cannot be eliminated completely from our earthly experience but we can learn to overcome them. Help is available.
An attitude of gratitude flows from a life immersed in the spirit of Jesus Christ. The Bible views thanksgiving as the sincere overflow of gratitude for all that God has given to us. True thanksgiving cannot be self-centered because it is God-centered. An attitude of gratitude pleases God and produces real joy and peace of mind in spite of circumstances.
Real joy, contentment, and fulfillment in life result from the habit of a consistent, prayerful life that is full of gratitude and thanksgiving. This joy does not fluctuate because of the circumstances we face. I believe that St. Paul had this kind of experience why he commanded, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” He wanted us to have the overflowing joy and fulfillment that he experienced.
As we empathize with the sufferings of others, we express our gratitude for the influence of thousands of people in our lives – our parents, siblings, children, in-laws, friends, teachers, etc. We pray about situations locally, nationally and internationally. We can spend the whole day and not exhaust the list of people and things we pray about. For us prayer is to live with the awareness that we are always in the ever-abiding presence of God. It’s like breathing, we cannot stop and we cannot truly live without it.
There are always challenges of one kind or another. But because of the peace and joy which permeate our lives, we are able to face and overcome them, knowing that God is with us.
We cultivate and nurture a servant attitude, motivated by love for God and for others. We acknowledge the gifts with which God has blessed us and look for opportunities to serve and help others with compassion, joy and gratitude in our hearts.
Psychologists tell us that sincere gratitude and thanksgiving are the healthiest of all human emotions. The Bible has taught this a long time ago. The psalmist invites us, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34: 8). What a wonderful invitation! Try it and you will definitely like it. God’s goodness and kindness are experienced in God’s generosity.
Gratitude, thanksgiving and praise produce more positive emotional energy and stress relief than any other attitude in life. A thankful person attracts a circle of relationships. The giver exudes a joyful spirit; the receiver expresses gratitude and thanks to God for the giver who shares his gift with others. An act of kindness flows from a grateful heart and affects many.
Thanksgiving is an attitude of gratitude; it is a way of life. A thankful person will always have a joyful heart and spirit because he knows that God will bless his efforts. The Bible teaches that God loves a cheerful giver. All of us have something to give – a kind word of encouragement, a beautiful smile, etc.
Paul wrote, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9: 6). This is a principle built into the very fabric of the universe. My wife puts out a garden every year. I am always surprised that she puts a few seeds or a single plant in the ground and she always reaps a bountiful harvest. The miracle of growth and multiplication is amazing. We cannot out give God. Generosity is God’s nature. Paul also wrote. God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3: 20). Everything comes from God (Jas 1: 17). We will grow closer to God when we accept, assimilate, and personify these truths in our lives.
So as we live through this Thanksgiving season, let us endeavor to focus on what it is really about. We are reminded that it is more than food, fellowship and football. It is about expressing gratitude to God, and for all those who have influenced our lives for good.
When we practice thanksgiving it will become a habit which is manifested naturally because it flows from who we are and produces happiness and joy which cannot be contained. We experience a joy which is indescribable.
If we focus on our blessings which are many, and express thanksgiving for them, our desire for what we can’t have will diminish and disappear. We will enjoy what we have. Life does not consist in the amount goods that we have but of the goodness that characterizes us.
We shall practice expressing gratitude in all circumstances. This does not mean that we give thanks for our sickness or failure but we can be assured that these experiences can be lessons from which good can result. God is always there to guide us through the darkness into the light.
I was very sick when I was ten years old. I was taken to three different doctors but none could help me. I was supposed to die but an African gentleman, a next-door neighbor, prayed with me and I was healed. I believe this was a miracle. It’s one reason why I was motivated to become a Christian minister and why I am offering this blog.
In April of this year my eldest sister-in-law, my brother whom I followed in birth order, and his daughter all three died within a two-week period. Was I thankful for this experience? Of course not, that’s reality and I accepted it. I am still grieving. I couldn’t attend any of the funerals because of Covid-19. But I celebrated their lives and was grateful that they were a part of my family and received their love. God provided comfort and strength by God’s abiding presence.
Let us practice always living a life of gratitude. When this is who we are we will have strength and resilience when “adversity” comes. We will have the faith to believe that it will pass and life will be overflowing with love that is eternal, joy that is indescribable, and peace that is beyond understanding.
If you found this helpful and need further assistance, feel free to respond.