Pastor's Blog: Keep the Thanks Going
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Once Thanksgiving passes, some may think that they can shelve their grateful expressions and go back to being their normal selves, as if gratitude is simply a fleeting fancy.But as each of us knows deep down in his heart of hearts, thanksgiving is not just something we calendar for one day of the year; it’s an abiding attitude that when we hold it adds so much value to each moment of each day.
If you read this article before the holiday itself, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. But regardless of when you read it, before or after, go ahead and allow yourself the privilege of giving serious consideration to how you can carry on the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday by taking a brief moment each day to reflect on one blessing for which you are exceedingly grateful. Call it a “Thanksgiving Challenge.” My guess is that even on the worst of days you’ll find at least one blessing for which you can express thanks; and as you do, you’ll see your spirits lifted so much that you’ll find it remarkably easy to carry on the practice. Moreover, don’t hoard your gratitude. Feel free to share it with family, friends, and associates. After all, a truly thankful spirit is a contagious thing; and before long, you might start something that takes off and allows others to join you in looking past all the headaches and heartaches of everyday existence to the miracles that abound all around us, which we to our discredit too often overlook.
Let me use this opportunity as well to thank you for the privilege of being your pastor. I have encountered so much favor during the six years since God has brought me this way, and I look forward to the days ahead and how together we’ll join our thanksgiving to bring about acts of faithful service that will make being a part of Mountain Brook Baptist Church so much richer and fuller for us all. As good as the past days have been, even better ones lie ahead. So, let us launch forward into God’s good future grateful for the favor He bestows and the blessing of being a part of a community of faith that thankfully lives to show its love for God and its heart to live with grace and generosity.
“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).