Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Well, I know this Thanksgiving caught many off guard because there are five Thursdays in November this year. So many thought they had an extra week until they realized that was not the case. Hello! Then they were out there scrambling, doing last minute shopping. LOL!!! But you pulled it off and hopefully had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with loved ones.
We are all familiar with the Thanksgiving story that started fall of 1621 with the harvest celebration of the pilgrims and the Native Americans. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks to our Heavenly Father and to His Son Jesus for their many blessings, small and big, and for those things we take for granted or attribute to “good luck” instead of “God’s love.” It’s a time to reunite with loved ones, catch-up and enjoy each other’s company and EAT! But sadly, not everyone is feeling thankful.
Not feeling thankful?
Although you did the “Thanksgiving thing” with family and friends, you might not be feeling thankful. You might be thinking… I have nothing to be thankful for. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Everything in my house needs fixing and I can’t afford it. My bills are piling up and I’m robbing Peter to pay Paul. My teenager is acting up. My aging parents need help. I lost a loved one and this season makes me miss them and feel worse. I lost my job and don’t know what I’m going to do. I hate my life! Trust me, we are all going through something(s). But in spite of all that has gone wrong, choose to be thankful in the midst of it all.
You can’t do it by yourself and you don’t have to
Easier said than done. You got that right! Yes, when you’re going through stuff, sometimes it’s hard to be thankful. It’s even harder when you try to do it on your own, relying on your own understanding and strength. But with God, all things are possible! And this is not a cliché. My girlfriend Gwen and I always say that we don’t know how people can get through bad stuff without God. I don’t know and don’t want to know. I need God and Jesus like the air that I breathe. You must trust God and believe without a doubt that He can turn things around for the good, no matter how bad you feel or how bad it looks. God still does the unimaginable and the unexpected. God still performs miracles every day! Alleluia!
How can you be thankful when you’re not feeling it?
Start by telling yourself, “No matter what I’m facing, I choose to be thankful. Thank You Lord for life and for the opportunity to be thankful.” Then think about those things you take for granted. Let’s start right now! You’re reading this devotional. Right? So that means that you can see, read, comprehend, think and you are reading from a device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) which most likely you own. While you’re reading, you are sitting or lying on something somewhere. Do I need to go on? Now look at all the things to be thankful for and I’ve barely scratched the surface.
There’s always something to be THANKFUL for!
There is just something special about having a thankful heart. It makes you feel good, helps you appreciate and put things in perspective, gives you a positive outlook and helps you cope with stuff. I encourage you to stop and take a moment to look around you. You’ll see many things to be thankful for. Another thing I’ve learned, when you look beyond your troubles, you will see God and all the good things He has blessed you with. And you’ll see that there’s always something to be thankful for!
Bible Reflection
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endured forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
“Be thankful in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
Listen to Feel God Music
Echo (feat. Tauren Wells) Live Elevation Worship (Music Video)
From Deb’s 
to yours…
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