Thankfulness:
Well it seems the weather has officially locked into fall finally. Almost all of the leaves on the trees have fallen and it’s only a matter of time before the first snow falls as well. Next up on the busy holiday schedule is Thanksgiving. While the world around us is still a mess and things are not “the way they were,” I pray that you find yourselves in a better situation this Thanksgiving than you may have been in last Thanksgiving.
For me, much of my thankfulness is tied to the things I mentioned above; since moving to New Hampshire I have been so thankful for watching my daughters experience change. A road-trip to Vermont to see the leaves in full fall color change, raking our own leaves into giant piles to run and jump in, anticipation for the snow soon to come. These are all things Claire and Elaine are experiencing for the first time and their joy is palpable.
I am certainly thankful for the ministry opportunities God has given me since coming to Candia Congregational Church. He has given me opportunities to preach, to teach, to lead, to write, and to rejuvenate myself spiritually. Part of my rejuvenation has been a more focused opportunity for personal Scripture study and God used this to shift some of my previous thoughts on thankfulness. Currently my personal Scripture study is in the book of Colossians and in verse 3 we read about Paul’s thankfulness.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all God’s people (Col. 1:3-4)
The interesting thing about this is it does not appear Paul had ever been to Colossae. He may have passed through Colossae and/or the city next door, Laodecia, on his way to Ephesus but it was one of his disciples, Epaphras, that established the church in Colossae. (vs. 1:7) Upon hearing of this group of believers rooted in Christ and the love they showed others, Paul’s response is thankfulness to God…and a letter of encouragement and instruction.
This opened my eyes to some of the selfishness of my own thankfulness. I am thankful for things that happen directly to/for me and my immediate family. I am thankful for things that happen directly to/for close friends or fellow church members. If I am being honest, however, very little of my thankfulness is what I am calling “Kingdom thankfulness.” This is what Paul demonstrated, he was thankful to see God at work outside of his personal area of the Kingdom. He goes further and writes how he is praying always (1:3) and continually (1:9) for the Colossians. My hope this Thanksgiving season and beyond is to be more thankful for the work God is doing and the people He is using in the world beyond my sphere of influence. I am exceedingly thankful for those who have read my blogs and offered encouragement and feedback…please know that all of this has been a blessing to me.