Debra over at Chocolate and Coffee is hosting In Other Words this week, and the quote she’s chosen is just perfect for this Thanksgiving week.“Thanksgiving begins with Thanks Living. Life is God’s gift to you. What you do with your life is your gift to God.” Anonymous
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
I’d guess a lot of people will be thankful for their jobs, their families and loved ones, their homes. Health is always a biggie when it comes to things to be thankful for, as are opportunities. Some folks will likely be thankful for more tangible things like cars and computers, and corn bread dressing (my husband is always thankful for that since Thanksgiving is the one time each year he gets it!)
There are a lot of things I could be thankful for this year, but I’m doing something a little different. This year I’m basing my thanksgiving prayers on Ecclesiastes 5:19.
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:19 NIV.
I came across this little gem a few weeks ago while waiting in a lobby, and it got me thinking.
A lot of people see God as playing favorites, as a Benefactor to some but not all. To them, He’s like a prejudicial host who gives the best and finest food to His special little friends, and the crumbs to all the rest. To them, the gift is the stuff.
But to me, the gift isn’t the stuff – it’s not the wealth and possessions, as it says in Ecclesiastes. The gift is the ability to enjoy the stuff, to accept life as is, and to be happy. That’s what God gives us when we enter into a relationship with Him.
He doesn’t offer or even promise more stuff, bigger stuff, or better stuff. He promises He will enable us to enjoy what we have, to accept where we are in life, and to be happy because of – and even in spite of – our circumstances.
Sure, I’m grateful for the things in life, but this Thanksgiving, I’m giving thanks for the true gifts of God:
- the ability to look past the darkness and see into the light,
- the willingness to experience joy and happiness, contentment and satisfaction,
- and the every day recognition that my life cup is literally overflowing with abundance and grace because God loves me.
What an awesome cause for thanksgiving!
6 comments:
"Gem" is ideal label for that verse. I will be using this on placecards Thursday! It's appropriate to say the least! I'm glad you had to sit in a lobby :-)
...don't you think we become UNthankful becuase of the poor definitions for words like "blessing" and "joy" and "hardship" etc. As followers of JESUS, we should be grateful for LIFE itself! We only have life becuase of HIM. Life comes with ALL emotions and ALL experiences. Our vocabulary has unfortunately assigned negative feelings to some of life's experiences. God desires us to experience ALL of it - and thereby grow closer to Him.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Kindest Thoughts,
~esthermay
Oh to be like Paul and find our contentment in all our circumstances - now that would truly be "thank-living"!
Esthermay - I am in complete agreement regarding word choice - which btw is a pet peeve of mine! The words we use to describe things - including emotions and emotional experiences is so important. I tell a story in AGWP about the impact eliminating certain words from my vocab has had on me. Thanks for dropping by!
AVA
Such a wonderful post sweetie.
Wow, this was great...
Thanks so much for stopping by today.
So nice to meet you!
I am so grateful to be living, for this season, in a place where everything God provides is enough.
"I'm drinking from a saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed." ~ Jimmy Dean
Thanks for the encouragement over at my blog and such a thoughtful and thought provoking post here. You bless me tremendously, tremendously every time I visit your blog.
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