There are so many things for which I am thankful in my life. As I sat down and looked through my digital pictures of old Thanksgiving, I was surprised to find how many I had. Dad always diligently took pictures of us at our table with Turkey. As I mentioned, we didn’t practice saying Grace at many meals, but at Thanksgiving, we always did, and Dad would lead it. I don’t remember what he said. I wish I could, but I know he prayed the standard prayer we had all learned, “Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.” As my kids grew up, we’d say more personal prayers and even share what we were thankful for. I still like to do that today during the Thanksgiving season.
It’s always good to be specific when thanking God. Paul was. In his letter to the Romans, which was to be the longest of his letters, after his opening, and before he got into the content of his main reason for writing, he said, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you…” That’s a great thing to thank God for. He was grateful for the believers in the world’s capital city of Rome. He knew how hard it was to be a believer in the 1st-century world and rejoiced that God had blessed him with other believers to share his life within every part of the world. Paul did not plant the church in Rome but was thankful for every believer there.
I’m thankful for all of you who share my faith in Jesus Christ. It’s not easy in our society to be a serious believer, and we need each other to nourish our faith, to encourage us in the face of opposition, ridicule, and often shame. We comfort each other. We give credence that we’re not crazy; if we are, there are many crazy people like us. I always enjoy the thought that I’m not in this alone. You are with me! There are believers all over the world, and everywhere I go, we find those who love the Lord and subscribe to the wonderful values and teachings of the scriptures. That has always helped and sustained me in my mission and call to preach the Gospel. Like Paul, I thank God for all of you!
“Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7