When I was little, I liked to pick wildflower bouquets for my Mom. My favorites were violets and dandelions—I encircled a yellow blossom with the bright blues representing the sun and sky.
All around us are little blossoms of God’s goodness. As we run about, we often don’t notice and may even trample on them. Thanksgiving is a reminder to look. Sarah Young (Jesus Calling 11/23) says that God plants tiny treasures along our way to brighten our days. Look carefully and pluck them up. By the end of the day you’ll have a lovely bouquet—a harvest of thankfulness.
Thankfulness doesn’t always just come when things are going great. When we thank God, even in our adversity, the sting dissolves, and God’s presence and power prevail. We find that blessings are not always the result of comfortable circumstances, but of God’s incredible work on our behalf in the midst of our troubles.
What makes you thankful? Is it your family, friends, possessions, wealth, health or other comforts? Or, can you see God’s blossoms growing in all the times in your life? When you look for Him, you may be surprised. You will find Him.
“…in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
Let us give thanks for our beautiful, free country and our leaders. We thank God for blessing us as a nation.
Let us thank God for our military and first responders who work hard and put their lives on the line to protect and help us.
Let us express our gratefulness to our church staffs and hard working volunteers who provide for our worship experiences, our spiritual growth, our service opportunities and the needs of our kids.
We thank God for those who have been called to sacrifice and serve on the mission fields, spreading the gospel of Jesus.
Perry and Sue add: “We thank God for his faithfulness in our lives through ups and downs of MS, publishing a book (out soon!), enrolling in seminary (starting in January) and eye surgeries and knee issues. God has been with us in amazing ways, helping us navigate some tough hurdles. We are blessed by our sweet family, our terrific friends and all who have prayed for us and encouraged us.”
We wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving! May your table be graced with a bouquet.
Check out Sue’s devotion about an airplane flight on christiandevotions.us on Friday, November 23.