Thanksgiving

First of all let me say that I never thought I would get into blogging, but let me also tell you it is a great opportunity for me to clear my head before I attempt to write a sermon. It is a way for me to spill my proverbial guts before wrestling with the serious, sometimes troubling truths of scripture. I want to reflect on Thanksgiving because that is what this time of year has been set apart to do at least in the American culture. First of all let me say that I have lots of reasons to give thanks. God has blessed me in ways that I could never have imagined. God has called me to serve a church that loves me. I serve a God that loves me. I have the pleasure of serving with a wife that loves me. Those are the most important things, but God has given me a great family. It is somewhat rare to have parents and in-laws that are still together and still seeking God with their lives. Alice and I are so blessed because we each have parents and Grandmothers that love us, support us, and pray for us. Next of all I am thankful for the reminder that God has put in my life. God has been constantly reminding that life is a gift. It is a gift to be given away. Our highest good does not exist in ourselves, our possessions, or even our personality, but the most good seems to me to be in relationships. This starts with our relationship with God. I have found that in my life that it is very hard to love certain people if I am not able to view them as God views them.
This brings me to the real reason for this post. I am trying to eliminate complaining from my life. We all do it, but I am making it a personal challenge to be a more thankful person. This is not to say that I can eliminate things like grief and other such emotions. I have already said how I believe those are healthy things, but to look at the God who made us and admit that He knows what He is doing is such an important thing. God places difficult situations and people in our lives, not in order to change them, but to change us. My prayer is that I am an individual who has been changed by the life giving freedom that is available in Christ Jesus. In many ways I feel like I am only beginning my Christian walk because God has opened up the door of His amazing love in a way that I no longer have to feel the weight of guilt and shame that I did in the past. So my prayer is that in all things people who know and love Christ would no longer complain and criticize but encourage and exalt. I know this starts with me. So if you are reading this, please feel free to call me on my shortcomings because I hope God can use these thoughts to mold me into the person God would have me be.