Giving thanks

This morning I was awakened by the sound of our cat scratching at our bedroom door. Guess he really didn't understand that today is a holiday and I was sleeping in. But as I woke, I saw how sunny it was outside. It's Thanksgiving.

I started thinking about how thankful I was for my cat, who is an incredible creature, even if he does wake me up to turn the bathroom faucet on for him to get a drink of water. And of course, my dogs, who actually woke me up earlier this morning to go outside and do their business. But they happily crawled back in bed with me so we could sleep in. And certainly, my husband who, bless his heart, never even stirred during any of this commotion.

Several times during the past week, I heard people talking about how Thanksgiving is when you are supposed to stop and think about the blessings in your life.

But I disagree with that. I believe that every day should be Thanksgiving. In the sense that daily, we should be giving thanks to the Lord for all of our blessings. Realistically, when you do actually start to count your blessings, aren't there too many to list? Yeah, we are all thankful for our food, and clothes, and housing. But how often do we really contemplate the things often taken for granted? The sunshine, the moonlight, the rotation of the Earth, the cycle of water, a gentle breeze on a muggy day. Keeping all of these systems working is just one of the many things the Creator of this world does. His omnipotence is more than we can comprehend.

This morning a dear friend sent me a text quoting the apostle Paul as he encouraged fellow believers. "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

So today, I am thankful for all of the wonderful people we were fortunate enough to talk to or visit with today.  I am thankful for the great food and the hands that prepared it. I am so thankful for the safe travel to and from our destinations today. I am thankful for the laptop that I am using to write this and the Internet service that enables me to share these thoughts. I am thankful for the warm bed I will soon be crawling into. I am so thankful for so many things that I couldn't possibly list them here. And that's the point. We should contemplate these things daily.

Because tomorrow, I will still be thankful for these same things and so much more. Even if my pets don't let me sleep in on my long weekend. Hope your holiday and weekend are full of peace and love which are also blessings from the Lord :)

Relevant

This image illustrates for me what is relevant today. In fact, that is what last weekend's public school retreat at Camp AuSable was all about. Seeing my grand daughter happily prancing across this bridge summed it up for me.

What a blessing it was: to spend time with others praising God, to hear my son's testimony of what God has done for him, to escape into a wilderness of His wonderful creation, to watch my grand daughter peacefully  enjoy life away from the troubles of the world. What a blessing it was to catch this fraction of a glimpse of what life will be like in heaven.

Years ago, I had a dream that made everything crystal clear for me. I was in the kitchen of an old country house, having tea with friends who are yet unknown to me. As they sat at the cafe type round table, I turned to the sink to add more water to the tea pot. While turning toward the sink, I caught out of the corner of my eye, my mother running after my sons down the hallway. At the split second I was turning to ask my friends Did you see that?, there was tremendous noise, and my question turned to Did you hear that? My friends were no longer at the table! Immediately, my mind processed. The noise was the trump of God! JESUS IS HERE!  I exclaimed as I ran toward the screen door. There He was full of glory in the clouds with His host of angels! While reaching for the handle of the screen door, I hesitated, Wait.... my family. Jesus' voice gently said to me JUST COME.

Then, I woke up. I realized that I could no longer sit on the fence of salvation. I could no longer be (as my son put it) a church hopper frantically trying to find a church that would be appealing to my husband and sons. I could no longer deny the biblical truths of the Sabbath, the state of the dead, and the fact that we are in the end times. I realized that if God could bring me from the darkness of this world, He could do the same for my family.

I implore all who read this. SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES for in it you will find truth and as Jesus said "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Blessings to all. I pray that each and every one of you finds the peace and love found only in a saving relationship with Jesus.