WHY I AM THANKFUL
There is something about a holiday that shines a spotlight on what is true about your life. It’s not that you are unaware of the reality of your circumstances in less celebrated seasons, the awareness is there, just not so intensely focused upon.
If your life is full of quality relationships and contented moments then a birthday or Christmas only makes that sweeter. But if your life feels barren and in your heart of hearts you are lonely, special occasions rub salt in those wounds.
If you have lost someone you love, your Thanksgiving table is a reminder of an empty chair or a broken dream.
As I read through my mail today and watched the news, both reflected those realities. Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday but as I thought about mothers struggling to will their children to live in the harshest places in Haiti or the families in New Zealand who will face their first Christmas soon without 29 miners lost in the Pike River mine disaster, my question was,
“What can each one of us be thankful for?”
I have one thing. One thing that I am as sure of as the blood that runs in my veins and that is the relentless love of God that refuses to be displaced even in the darkest moments in life. The following words were not written by a man who lived an easy, comfortable life but rather a man who was beaten, shipwrecked, falsely imprisoned, tortured and most probably beheaded by the Roman Emperor, Nero. He wrote these words because they are true. The were true for him then and for you and me right now.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
I pray that each one of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by those you love but more than that, I pray that you know that nothing that happens today or tomorrow will ever be able to separate you from God’s love.
For that-I am deeply thankful!
Thanks, Sheila! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. I think for a moment that the only thing that can happen that will be able to separate me from God's love is me turning my back on Him, but even then He still would love me! So – how can I even imagine turning my back on something as great as that. I can't.
Thank you, God.
That's true donna-pretty amazing!
I LOVED THIS POST!!! Thank you Sheila for your inspiration!! (I just discovered you at the WOF in Kansas City a few weeks ago)
LOVED YOU!
Thank you Betsy
We are thankful for our new Gigi devotional that we will be going through together with our little six year old princess named Becca. Happy Thanksgiving to the Walsh family from the Battle Family.
So sweet-happy Thanksgiving Battle family!!
Right on Sheila! I've been through some pretty rough times this last 2 years, but must never forget the deep, deep love of God. That's why we're here after all. God loved us and sent Jesus! Thank you for the precious reminder. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Thank you Nicky-happy Thanksgiving
Return prayers and wishes to you and yours.
Thank you Barbara!
Thank you so much for your post Shelia. I have really struggled today with finding what to be thankful for when it seems problems keep hitting us in the face. I know that God has good plans for us and I am desperately holding on to remember that. I always try to remember that no matter how bad we think we have it, someone else has it worse somewhere. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Praying for a breakthrough for you Becky-happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you Sheila. What a beautiful reminder of what to be truly thankful for in our lives.
Thank Kristine!
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
Happy Thanksgiving! Sheila and Family!
Great comment Diana
I truly believe that if a person can't find much to be thankful for, they aren't really looking very hard. If you are breathing, that alone is a reason to be thankful. Believe me—this family knows that one for sure! I find even missing someone is a gift—it means you have loved & have felt love.
So true Karen, happy Thanksgiving!!
Thank you Sheila. I love that this verse so clearly reminds me that even the present can’t separate us from Christ. Even in the midst of ever present pain, His love washes over us. Blessings to you and yours for a happy gobble gobble day!!!
AMEN!! Happy gobble gobble day to you to!
Shiela, I'm thankful for someone like you to not shy away from Christ's calling in your life. I cannot even put into words the change in my life Christ made THROUGH you. Thank you for all you do, and the many many lives you help change.
Amanda-thank you, what an honor! Happy Thanksgiving!!
I love the way you put things and I can so hear your voice as I read your words which makes it more real. Thank you for your inspiration, encouragement and your sense of humor. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Lisa…my name is Lisa too : )…and your words to Sheila is what I would have said…so grateful for sisters in Christ that are like minded and yet we have never meet. : )
Me too Lisa:)
Happy, Happy Thanksgiving Sheila! One of the many things I'm thankful for is your ministry! I absolutely adore your music, your gift of writing (especially Angel Song- GREAT book!) and speaking and your love for people. It's been so cool watching you grow and transform over the years!! Especially now since you have a son and have gotten into sports! That's AWESOME!!!
LOL
hahah!! Thanks Brenda-Happy Thanksgiving!!
Happy Thanksgiving Sheila! I am thankful for your amazing way with words.
I am spending the day with a friend & her family. She just asked me to read your post as part of the prayer before the Thanksgiving feast. Thank you for sharing God's love as always!
Blessings to you & your family…
How lovely Christa-thank you for telling me that
Very uplifting way to start my day! Thank you for putting my thoughts on Christ and His precious blood–I hadn't really done that yet this morning. You and your ministry are included in my blog's Thanksgiving post (written yesterday morning)! Thanks for your faithfulness and obedience and hard-following after Jesus. God has used you to exhort and help me greatly during the past 7 months since I picked up one of your books on a whim (hadn't thought too much about you since a Steve Taylor concert in the 1980s!).
Wow-we go way back C.!! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving1
I think it is wonderful that God is still using your faithful works of long ago (80s music!) to minister through you today. I am currently crying and laughing my way through every page of "Honestly," –I have a very similar story, but God healed me from Bipolar Disorder (all sin-induced), not Clinical Depression. You share things so candidly and vividly. Hope you had a lovely Holiday.
Happy thanksgiving Sheila. Even though I am in the UK we celebrated Thanksgiving a couple of years ago with our minister who spent some time in Oklahoma snd wanted us to both experience the holiday and reflect on what we were thankful for. He passed away this year but now Thanksgiving has a special place in my heart as I remember sharing a traditional Thanksgiving meal with John, his wife Inez and the rest of our Church.
Lovely memory Diane-thanks for sharing it
Happy Thanksgiving Shelia. These were beautiful words.Thank you for sharing them today.
What an inspirational post you placed today Shiela, being Thanksgiving. This is the day that is very precious for us believers to thank Him for our very life of His creating and ransoming us from our sin. We thank and praise You, dear Lord and may You always bless us as we totally surrender our very life to You. Be glorified today and always, dear Jesus!
What a beautiful and inspirational post to read on this Thanksgiving day. Thank you for sharing it Sheila.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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