A Thanksgiving Message

First off I would like to wish everyone in the congregation a very happy thanksgiving. And we do have a lot to be thankful for. As you all know, we were all supposed to bring in can goods to donate to the kitchen cupboard for those who are less fortunate than us. Many people cannot afford to have a thanksgiving on their own and your generosity is greatly appreciated. There are even more people in other countries, such as the Sudan in Africa, who literally have nothing. While we can be thankful that we are not in the economic or financial situations of these people, I personally have to say that I envy them a little bit. These people, while suffering, can give us a true idea of what it means to be thankful for what you have. As opposed to complaining about their situation, they make due with what they have and are thankful for it. Even the smallest thing does not go unnoticed. You may find some of the happiest people in the world in these situations, just thankful for what they have. We can truly learn a lesson from these people.

This, however, is not all we have to be thankful for. We have each other. We have our family, our friends, fellow Christians, and last but certainly not least, God. Yes, God. As Christians one of the most important things we should be thankful for is the love and protection of God. He watches over us and answers our prayers. I think that we sometimes forget this. Caught up in the bustle and hustle we all get involved with in everyday life, sometimes it is easy to move away from God, even to forget He is there. This is tragic because He can offer so much help. He can be a crutch to lean on in times of need and despair. He can offer hope when all other hope is lost

Thanksgiving is a time to get back to together with our family, and back together with God. We should be sure to take the time to make sure that the people important to us know it. Thanksgiving is about family and the togetherness we feel with all our loved ones around us, and about giving thanks for all the good things in our lives. This is not to take away from those who have suffered greatly in their lives. That is not what I am here to do. However, this brings up one of the greatest things we can be thankful for. Prayer. God answers our prayers and listens to us when we need help. Of course we all know that you do not pray to God for material wealth, because He just doesn’t work like that. If your house burns down, you don’t pray to God to send you a new house just like magic. What you can pray for is the strength to go on, the ability to make the right choice, and the strength to persevere over an obstacle. This is what we can truly be thankful for, that God is not only there for us in times of great joy and happiness but in times of great pain and suffering. Even at the end of your rope with no one else to turn to, God is there watching over us and listening to our prayers. So when you go home tonight after church, and when you sit down to thanksgiving supper with your family tomorrow night or maybe you are just by yourself, remember God is there for you no matter what. This is what I am thankful for.

Tyler Schmidt