Update # 22 on Jewel

This is Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada.

Beyond the Turkey and Pumpkin pie what does it mean? For our family, Thanksgiving this year takes on special meaning. In spite of Jewel’s recent cancer diagnosis we have so much for which to be thankful.

In thinking about Thanksgiving the apostle Paul wrote some great words to help us. Paul knew about suffering. He knew about problems, he knew about hardship. While he is in prison, he says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18

Paul says in every circumstance...give thanks. How do you do that?

Pastor John Ortberg gives some helpful insights in response to this question.

It is not just that life is kind of a roller coaster and sometimes circumstances are good and we ought to be grateful. It's not even just that being grateful is a more fun way to do life than being ungrateful; although, it is.

He goes on to say,

Whatever you're going through, your loneliness, your darkness, your sin, your regret, your sickness, your dying...God knows. God has been there.

That little phrase...in Christ...is the foundation for all our gratitude. Every other gift, every other blessing, every other good thing, every other piece of good fortune, comes and goes.

The reason gratitude makes sense in all circumstances is that our foundation is not in our circumstances; it is in Christ. God has suffered from and triumphed over every circumstance in Christ; therefore, gratitude is the greatest opportunity in life, and it's good to tell God. It is a terrible thing to be grateful and have no one to be grateful to so we are grateful to our God. It is His will for us in Christ Jesus.

So as we sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, which has been kindly provided from some of our Church members, we will focus on the Jesus the foundation of our faith source of our grateful hearts.

Yours on the Journey,

Geoff