Reflections

Thanks…

1.Thessalonians 5:18 says “In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.” The dictionary states…

Thankful ADJECTIVE pleased and relieved: synonyms: grateful · appreciative · filled with gratitude · expressing gratitude and relief:

As in…“an earnest and thankful prayer”

We should be giving thanks for all things and in all circumstances all of the time. This time of year we even have a holiday to remind us to be thankful.

I believe that as a nation we need to be reminded of being thankful and giving thanks. I also believe that this cannot be done until each one of us focuses on being thankful.

Before writing this I asked my daycare children what they were thankful for. The answers ran the full gamut, thankful for parents, dogs, God, home, thankful that they could be an alien for Halloween.

A couple of years ago our college age son brought it to our attention about Thanksgiving that it is JUST A MEAL. And he is right. It is just a meal. Not a competition for biggest feast, or best decorated. It is just a meal. “In all things give thanks…” Thankful to have; food, family, time of rest, friends, freedom, to be able to share, thankful we have the sense of smell, sight, taste which makes it all better. Thankful to have memories of Thanksgivings past as I remember those whose memories have been taken away by Alzheimer’s.

This year, whether alone or in a crowd, with a frozen pot pie or the biggest feast you have ever seen…first and foremost…be thankful, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning all of us.

Nettie Covalt, CRE

First Presbyterian Church of Wrangell