Having a Heart of Gratefulness for WHAT IS and WHAT IS TO COME

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" Thessalonians 5:18

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”  Thornton Wilder

Buster Morris, my grandfather; used Matthew Henry’s commentary many, many times when researching sermons. I feel privileged to use his book today. Mr. Henry, who was the eighteenth-century Puritan preacher whose Bible commentary remains among the most popular of all time, was once accosted by robbers while living in London.

We all have had things that happen to us that are considered “traumatizing, shocking, scary”—whether by having a car broken into or coming home to discover that our house had been burglarized. It’s among the most unsettling things that can happen to a person. I’m sure it was, as well, Mr. Henry. This is how he responded:

Let me be thankful, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

What a perspective! As someone has said, “If you can’t be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape.”

PRAYER PLUS THANKSGIVING EQUALS PEACE

I know a lot of women who suffer from a noticeable deficiency of peace. We are hurried from one activity to the next, work, children, housework, and the list goes on. I’m one of them sometimes. I’m not talking about a peace that equates to having a day with nothing on the calendar, plopping down on the sofa with a cup of hot tea, good book or a couple of hours of Netflix (lol). Not that this doesn’t sound inviting, but let’s be honest—that’s a rare occasion for most of us. The peace I’m talking about doesn’t require a mountain cabin or a getaway weekend. It can happen anywhere, even in the most hectic moments and places of your life.

FATHER GOD - THANK YOU FOR YOUR BLESSINGS EVERYDAY; THE ONES THAT WE NOTICE IMMEDIATELY AND THE ONES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED. IF THINGS AREN'T PERFECT IN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, HELP US TO HAVE FAITH AND BELIEVE THAT BLESSINGS ARE COMING OUR WAY. YOUR WAY IS STEADFAST AND TRUE. HELP US TO ENJOY OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS DURING THIS HOLIDAY. GUIDE US TO BE A BLESSING FOR OTHERS. AMEN.

 

 BBBBbe