Do you reflect with a thankful heart?

For me, this year more than any other is a time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. It is so easy to get caught up with: ‘I wish I had’, or ‘Why me?’, ‘I don’t have as much’, ‘They did it!’ It is a constant grumble.  (1Thessalonians 5:18)  The minute I get caught up in such things, God opens up my eyes. I am humbled when a patient wants a hug because there is no family there and they are lonely and having a hard time dealing with the pain.  Or when a mom goes for what the surgeon says is routine surgery and her family is now planning a funeral. Be thankful for today, for God does not promise you tomorrow. (James 4:13-15)  Be thankful for the family that God has blessed you with, let them know how much you love them and need them. God has not given us the understanding of why we go through things, (Philippians 4:6-9) but He has given us His promise to be with us through it all.

I am thankful for you! (Philippians 1:3-6)

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

¹⁸ Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

^13-15 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.” James 4:13-15 (MSG)

^6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-9(MSG)

Meredith