FEAST ON HIS FAITHFULNESS

Tickets were bought. Trains, buses, and airplanes were boarded. Tables were set.

…….and families reunited and gathered around to celebrate. This presents a sequence of events this past week. It’s Thanksgiving across the world and while some nations (like ours) have not laid great emphasis or given meaning to it, there’s still a part of us that unconsciously remembers it; thanks to family abroad or Instagram captions with family frames featured and not forgetting perfectly set tables of food all across social media.

Giving thanks is a daily practice but I equally applaud the intention and the uniform effort of coming together to share thanksgiving reports. Even without gathering officially, we can still celebrate together and I invite you to feast on His faithfulness and share in the celebration as you reflect on what God has done and accomplished in your life in the last 11 months and in equal anticipation of what He could still do.

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

If there’s a uniform form of praise that we could all sing, it would be that the Lord has blessed us with benefits; varied but benefits all the same. I love that the Psalmist goes ahead to give us a peek into what these benefits could look like; forgiveness, healing, preservation, protection, abundance, restoration, and satisfaction

We are used to testimonies as the leading word when giving praise reports and so often this invites a bias. We regard testimonies as the big visible, tangible blessings that people can see. While this is commendable and worthy of acknowledgment, so are the routine ordinary things we feel already used to: like the gift of life, the ability to move, to see, to eat, to walk, to think, to go to and fro from work or school. Remember there’s nothing ordinary about God’s blessings.

This will feel like a mushy blog (which it is) so let’s rein in our feelings and soak in gratitude as we step into all our feely feels. Let’s be mindful of our blessings and even as we count them, let’s extend a hand of kindness and share the love with those who may feel alone this season even heading into Christmas.

Life is to be lived in gratitude.

I imagine we’re sitting together, our stomachs full and our hearts swelling in gratitude and we take turns sharing our gratitude list. Here’s mine:

1. I am grateful that I get to steward this beautiful ministry; a community that has been so dear to my heart over the last two years; a purpose that brings great fulfillment.
2. I am grateful for you as a reader who shows up to read these strings of words I try to attach meaning to with the help of the Holy Spirit. I am thankful for the love, the comments, the feedback, and the shares. As I count my blessings, I count you.
3. I am thankful for every deposit of knowledge and wisdom in my heart that God places to enable me to share His heart through writing and the craftsmanship to create.
4. I am thankful for all the writers who are part of this ministry, who join me in prioritizing the word and in sharing God’s heart tirelessly.
5. I am thankful for this website, the website maintenance, and the management team that ensures we are live and online.
6. I am thankful for every resource and every output that is sent forth from this ministry; our blogs, book studies, our journals, and our merchandise as well

Your turn. What are you grateful for?

Psalm 34:8 says “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” In this season of thanksgiving, I pray that as you reflect you will be blown away by how good He has been; both in the ways you’ve seen and in the unseen. May the Holy Spirit bring to remembrance every faithful work of the Lord and may your heart overflow with thanksgiving.

1 Chronicles 16:8 “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done”

Keep feasting.