She walked by me too quickly to get a picture, but I could read the shirt clearly. In bold script were written these words: Grateful. Thankful. Blessed. What struck me about the shirt was not just the positive message it conveyed, but the setting in which it was worn. It was in the medical oncology department at Exeter Hospital. The cancer center. In the midst of this space packed full of people battling one form or another of a disease that threatened to rob them of life was this beautiful, positive message of hope.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul wrote "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It is a day specifically dedicated to remembering our blessings and giving thanks to God. Sometimes when life is good and everything seems to be going well, we forget to stop and give thanks for God's many blessings. And sometimes when life is hard and we seem to be going through a time of trial or struggle, we fail to see the blessings in our lives.

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Paul is reminding us that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. In the high times and in the low, in the ordinary days and in the exceptional moments, give thanks to God. There are seasons to life. Some of you are in a wonderful, joyful season of life. It is one in which it's very easy to see and celebrate God's manifold gifts. Some of you are in a difficult season. Often in these trying times we have to work a little harder to see the blessings. But I promise you, they are there. A beautiful sunrise. A call from a friend. Food on our table. A warm home. I've come to believe that no matter what season we are in, there are many things for which to be thankful. My prayer for all of us, at Thanksgiving time, and every day, is that whatever our circumstances we could see God's blessings and be thankful.

I also want to remind us that on Thanksgiving Day we will have a community dinner. If you or anyone you know doesn't have anyone to celebrate Thanksgiving with, or simply not able to prepare a Thanksgiving meal, I would invite you to join us. The dinner will be held at our Plaistow campus between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. It will not only be a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, but a wonderful opportunity for community and fellowship.  You can get more information at this link.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving. I look forward to us all being together on Sunday as we begin the season of Advent with a new series entitled EXPECTING!

God bless,

 

Pastor Steve

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