November 2024

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6

Overflowing with thankfulness for the privilege to live in the presence of our Lord at all times! That’s the only way we can live in the midst of difficult circumstances and the demands of life.

Receiving Christ Jesus as our Lord was not a thought for one day but a decision of a life-time. We moved from darkness and loneli-ness, anger and fear to be filled with the light of our Lord forever!

It is that promise, that forever, that awareness that we will be living in him and no one can separate us from our Lord that makes our hearts rejoice and strengthens our faith so we can overflow with thankfulness!

What should we be thankful for? I have found in my devotional life that when I am more spe-cific in my gratitude it leads me to realize how many things I am really thankful for.
Every day, take a moment to give thanks for a person in your life. Sometimes it will be some-one very close to you, someone who took time to listen to your concerns or someone who made you laugh out loud. Somedays it would be the neighbor that smiled at you and waved, or the driver who stopped so you could go first. Give thanks!

Sometimes it could be that annoying person who wrote something inappropriate on social media, or the neighbor with a bigger political sign than yours, or an acquaintance who was
condescending. When these things happen, af-ter I process my feelings of frustrations, I give thanks because I know God can use circum-stances to guide me.

Take time to give thanks for a project you are working on for work or for pleasure. It could be your garden, your workshop, your writing, your crochet or the things you do to help someone else with their lives like mowing their lawns. Give thanks for those responsibilities that you didn’t want to do but became an unexpected blessing.

When we are grieving losses in our lives, it’s harder to think on giving thanks. We realize we miss important people, and their absence hurts our hearts. That’s when I am more determined to also take notice of people still living, and I give thanks. It makes me realize we who are still here can still give thanks!

Giving thanks for the good and the not so good becomes a habit when we are specific about the reasons. It helps us realize that God is in everything we do and his blessings are more amazing than the difficult times we are dealing with.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Blessings!
Ileana