This Thanksgiving I have a long list, but most of all, I am thankful for God’s forgiveness, his care in watching over me, his direction and his provision, not only for me but for those I love. I am also thankful that He hears and answers prayer.
I am thankful for my family, especially my wife. I am proud of my children and never imagined how wonderful having young grandkids would be.
I am thankful for all those in the weekly Bible class that God has graciously allowed me to lead for many years, and for some measure of influence in this world.
I am thankful for my clients who place their trust in me. I am thankful to be able to choose my occupation and where and how I will practice it.
Those who have preceded us for many centuries would consider us to be very, very richly blessed. Our freedom, our comfort, our amazing access to information, freedom to travel the world by motorized transport or even 600 mph flying machines, most of us enjoying a mere 40-hour, 5-day work week, having discretionary spending money and living in houses they would consider extravagant would be highly envied by the vast majority of people that have ever lived. The same could be said by billions of people living in other countries today.
King Solomon, if he could have seen the future would have many, many reasons to envy so much of what we take for granted. In fact, a favorite reflection of mine and a good Thanksgiving dinner game is listing the things we enjoy that Solomon would envy. Take the thermostat and central heating/AC for example, indoor waste plumbing, instant hot water, cold storage of food, merino wool, instant illumination of any room with the flick of a finger... there are dozens of things I can think of.
In spite of all the reasons we worry about the direction of our culture and our country, we enjoy incredible blessings and have a great deal for which to be thankful. I am thankful we have a national holiday that celebrates thankfulness and causes us to reflect on what we might otherwise let pass by unnoticed.
I am thankful for my family, especially my wife. I am proud of my children and never imagined how wonderful having young grandkids would be.
I am thankful for all those in the weekly Bible class that God has graciously allowed me to lead for many years, and for some measure of influence in this world.
I am thankful for my clients who place their trust in me. I am thankful to be able to choose my occupation and where and how I will practice it.
Those who have preceded us for many centuries would consider us to be very, very richly blessed. Our freedom, our comfort, our amazing access to information, freedom to travel the world by motorized transport or even 600 mph flying machines, most of us enjoying a mere 40-hour, 5-day work week, having discretionary spending money and living in houses they would consider extravagant would be highly envied by the vast majority of people that have ever lived. The same could be said by billions of people living in other countries today.
King Solomon, if he could have seen the future would have many, many reasons to envy so much of what we take for granted. In fact, a favorite reflection of mine and a good Thanksgiving dinner game is listing the things we enjoy that Solomon would envy. Take the thermostat and central heating/AC for example, indoor waste plumbing, instant hot water, cold storage of food, merino wool, instant illumination of any room with the flick of a finger... there are dozens of things I can think of.
In spite of all the reasons we worry about the direction of our culture and our country, we enjoy incredible blessings and have a great deal for which to be thankful. I am thankful we have a national holiday that celebrates thankfulness and causes us to reflect on what we might otherwise let pass by unnoticed.
