Just Be Thankful!

Happy Sunday!

Merry Christmas Eve!  Praying that you are safe and warm, and enjoying your family and friends!  Unless you are on the beach, then I pray that you are cool, and enjoying the sand between your toes, and a tropical breeze.

Pastor David Winston brought our message today.  Our Senior Pastors, Drs. Bill and Veronica Winston are enjoying restful vacation time away!  His message was entitled, "Just Be Thankful".  

The Apostle Paul is a great example of thankfulness and contentment.  In many of his letters, he greeted the saints with love and expressed how thankful he was for them, and how he prayed for them daily.  Don't miss this, or disregard his circumstances.  He was a prisoner in Rome, guarded by an elite group of Roman soldiers.  Some say he was on house arrest, but I'm not sure many of us could even deal with house arrest not to mention prison.  He never complained about it, and even wrote to the Believers in Philippi, "I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah."(Philippians 1:12-14, Message). 

Pastor David encouraged us to, "Never let our desires speak louder than our thanks!"   It's the season for desires.  We are waiting to see if the gift we desire was purchased, wrapped, and placed beneath the tree.  We are waiting to taste our favorite foods cooked by our talented family members.  We are waiting to see what the new year holds.  But if the gift isn't right, the food is cold, and the new year starts off rocky...how will we respond?  The Apostle Paul gave us the secret, "I am telling you this, but not because I need something. I have LEARNED to be satisfied with what I have and with whatever happens. I know how to live when I am poor and when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of how to live through any kind of situation—when I have enough to eat or when I am hungry, when I have everything I need or when I have nothing."(Philippians 4:10-12, Easy-to Read Version).  The King James Version of this scripture uses the word "content".  Contentment means that if you can change the situation, change it.  But if you can't change the situation change your perspective.

When my children were younger we celebrated Christmas in February.  As a single parent, there was no way I could justify buying presents and not paying the rent and utilities in December.  They received presents from their uncles, aunts, and grandparents, but the large special gifts from Mom were received at Income Tax Return time.   We made our own tradition, and did not fret over waiting.  We were happy to know that there was still more to be enjoyed at a later date.  If they don't agree with my assessment of this detail in our family history, they have never let on.  The Apostle Paul was not embarrassed about being a prisoner, and he took the opportunity to make the best of a bad situation.  Pastor David said something that I have been hearing from the Holy Spirit lately, "Most times we consider ourselves the Star of our own life story, but actually many times God wants us the be the supporting character in the life story of another!"  It's not really all about ME!  God told Abraham that he would be blessed in order to be a blessing!  Complaining can trick us into thinking that it's all about us!  Complaining is of the Devil.  Ask the Children's of Israel that perished in the desert!  

Yes, I live in the real world!  I work in a real world job, and deal with real people daily!  There are days, when I want to quit, curse, or both!  LOL!  There are days when the people around me get on my last nerve!  But the Holy Spirit reminds me that I am so Blessed.  I was blessed to be reared by Christian parents, who instilled a love for and practical application of the Word of God in me.  I'm thankful that my mistakes have not been fatal, and that I am still getting a chance to make it right.  I'm thankful that my Faith in God gives me Hope for the future.  Like our February Christmas, I know that even if I can't see the finish line yet, I will finish strong!  I'm thankful for my best friend, Gina, my sisters, and brothers, my Dad and Mom, and my children and grandchildren!  I often pray that I will be a blessing to everyone I come in contact with.  To be a blessing, I have to put in the work.  James wrote, "So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good works is no faith at all—it is dead and useless."(James 2:17, Living Bible).

I'm thankful for you!  Happy Sunday goes all over the world.  Each reader has a unique story, and each one has a special story about how we met.  I'm so thankful that we connected, and stay connected.  This Christmas, let's just be thankful...

Love and prayers, Cynthia