Thankful of the blessings of God’s love, praying to be a blessing

The leaders of our nation have set aside a day for national Thanksgiving since the beginning of our country. Yet, often when we think of our country we see the problems, the evil, the situations that need to change. We can wonder why God allows such troubles to exist and even doubt His goodness.

But, if you travel to a foreign land, which many in my family have done, we can then compare our homeland with other places. In 1993 our son, Joshua, traveled to Far East Russia on a mission trip. He came home thankful for his own bedroom, and thankful for a hot shower. As we see the problems others face, we learn thankfulness for our own land, even with all it’s problems.

If you ask people to list blessings for which they are thankful, if you ask me, usually at the top of the list is family. This past year I have been amazed at how my adult children have reached out and supported one another. This past year I have watched my siblings and extended family work together at the death of my father, and watched as we grew in thanks for the life, faith, and heritage of my dad. But, still, sometimes we take the blessings of our family for granted.

I read many devotions throughout the week, in addition to my daily reading of Scripture. One of the devotions I read in the past week makes me realize even more the blessings God has given me in my family, the blessings God has given me in my friends, in His Church. The devotion below comes from Rev. Dr. Jerry Kieschnick, former president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Maybe these words can help you in your thankfulness to God.

Usually at this time of year our thoughts are focused on people or things for whom or which we are thankful. Today I’m sharing with you what a foster child in Oklahoma listed when asked what she wanted in a family. Here are her answers:

Things I want in my family: A clean safe house with running water and lights; Mom and Dad who don’t fight or hit on me; I want no drugs; Don’t kill my pets; Nice clean clothes and a coat; No lice or bugs in the house; A bed with covers; Don’t sell my toys; Treat me fair; Don’t get drunk; My own comb and soap and toothbrush; I want love.

This little girl’s list touches my heart with the reminder that not everyone in our country and world experiences the blessings of God in the same measure with which my family, and most likely yours as well, have been blessed.

The mental picture of this little girl also moves me to reach out in love, care, and concern to folks who can only dream of having the necessities of life, not to mention the luxuries many of us often take for granted.

As you prepare to observe Thanksgiving Day, remember what I strive to recall every day: We have been abundantly blessed by our gracious God … for a reason … to be a blessing! That’s why when someone asks me how I’m doing, my reply is almost always: “Super blessed!”

Thank you, Jerry. I am not sure of the source of this girl’s list. However, our church tries to help people in need. I have seen homes where all of these trials exist. It’s sort of like visiting a foreign country. When we see the problems in other places, we can be even more thankful

In the face of the selfishness, the violence, the downright evil we can see in the world around us, we can be thankful that God’s children have love that is not taken away in Jesus.

“38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

I agree with Jerry. Because we have been blessed, we have the opportunity, and we have the responsibility, to share with others the love God gives us in Jesus. May your home be full of the love of Jesus, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but throughout the year. May your “cup overflow” with the love of Jesus and touch others who may be going through a rough time, or may not be as fortunate as you are. We are blessed to be blessings!