11/24/2022
On this Thanksgiving Day In America, I’m reminded of Ephesians 1:3 where Paul tells the church at Ephesus to remember that: “ All praise went to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
When I was an Associate Minister with the African Methodist Episcopal Church I love this old song that says: "Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."
Gratitude is an attitude. Earlier in my life, especially during the Holiday seasons, something evil would come over me. I would become overwhelmed with a sense of anger and an attitude of resentment often times took over my spirit. I didn’t understand why this would happened to me every year, especially during the Holiday seasons where joy, peace and love should have permeated the air due to being in the presence of family and friends.
I would make cynical attempts to pretend it wasn’t so when my wife would asked me why I was feeling that way. My responses to her was always people are dying from poverty and starvation every day, why should I be happy?
When God privileged me to be his servant ten years ago, I realized I have had the wrong attitude about the Holidays.
We all face difficulties in life, and it is always easy to lose perspective and have the attitude of person who complains about not having three square meals a day till he traveled and saw people on the streets begging to have just one meal a day.
Having the wrong attitude toward life can divert our attention from what God has done, what God wants to do, and what God will do for us.
So Brothers and Sisters, Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
God Bless you All.
Amen.
