Thanksgiving....So, That's What This Is All About

I was out running a few errands a few days ago and had to run by the grocery store. Now, I don't know if you've ever experienced a grocery store a few days before Thanksgiving but let me see, what was the word I used to describe it? Oh yeah, "INSANE!" Wall to wall people with shopping carts fighting for space in the aisles and stretching, reaching, and grabbing for stuff. A complete mad-house if you will. This particular store had a couple of people with microphones wooing people to try some particular food item. Personally, I think it was just adding to the confusion. It took me several minutes just to navigate through the crowded produce section. And, of course, after I made it through, I realized I had forgotten something on my list so I had to fight my way back through. And that was just the beginning.

I noticed, as I made my way through the store, the looks on most of the faces I past. Not alot of holiday cheer I must say. I'm sure had I looked in the mirror, I would have seen the same kind of expression staring back at me. I was not having fun. Ok, that's a little understatement. Let's just say I could think of several places I would rather be.

As we head full throttle into the holiday season, I can't help but think with all the "stuff" we have to do, we have become so good at missing the point of it all. Think about it. I'm in the middle of a crowded store where people are purchasing their food for their Thanksgiving celebration and I can't help but think how many were missing the spirit of the holiday. I know I was for one. I remember standing there thinking, "Please, get me out of this store!" Yes, I admit it, Thanksgiving was the furthest thing from my mind. The noise, the crowd, the craziness of it all did a great job of helping me lose sight of why I was there in the first place.

I was there because of Thanksgiving. I was there because I needed to pick up some last minute things for our Thanksgiving meal. A meal that I'll share with family and friends. A meal that I'll eat in a free country. A meal that I can afford to prepare. A meal on a day that we set aside to give thanks to God for all that He has blessed us with. I'm not sure about you, but my life is good. Its extremely good. God's blessings overwhelm me constantly. I have so much to be thankful for. We all do. Even if we are surrounded by negative things right here and right now, we all have so much to be thankful for.

Our problem is that we are very good at focussing on all that is wrong rather than all that is right. I'm thinking God knew that when He inspired Paul to write, "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things." The truth is that whatever we focus on orchestrates our life. If we choose to focus on the inconveniences, the negatives, and all our problems, we will journey through life, depressed, upset, cranky, stressed, and critical. On the other hand if we can learn to focus on all the goodness that God has blessed us with, then all the negatives pale in comparison.

One of my closest friends is bringing his mother home from the hospital today. She suffered a massive heart attack almost two weeks ago. The doctor informed the family this week that 1/2 percent, yes .5 percent of those who have that kind of heart attack live. Not only did she live, but she is alive and kicking. Also, today a couple we know is bringing home a young daughter from Ethiopia that they have just adopted. Its been a long, drawn out process, but today that journey is complete and their family of 4 just became 5. Stories like that are going on all around us and it really helps to put things into perspective. I know that not all stories have happy endings. Let me rephrase that. I know that there are some events in our lives that aren't happy ones. The happy endings are the result of what we do when those difficult times hit us. The key is in that moment, in the middle of that event, we can still choose to set our minds on the goodness of God rather than our current circumstance. Yes, we can choose to look at all that is wrong, but there is so much more good surrounding each one of us. And, if we can make a practice out of focussing on that good, it will re-order our life.

God is good! He is always good. His goodness surrounds each and every one of us. Regardless of what is going on right now in your life, it doesn't change who He is and how He relates to you. True, genuine thankfulness, is birthed in the heart of those who really know that. Over the course of the next few weeks, you'll be challenged to lose sight of the important things in life. You'll be tempted to forget what this season is all about. My challenge to you is, in the middle of it all, to remember who God is and how He's blessed your life. Perhaps, you struggle to find His blessings in your life, but you can start with John 3:16. If that was the only thing we could find that was good in our life, that alone would be worth a lifetime of thankfulness!

Thank God It's Friday

Have you ever had one of those weeks? You know the kind that you were just glad it was over? I think its safe to say that if you have lived any length of time on this planet, you fit into that category. We all have those kind of weeks from time to time. My week this week was one of those weeks. Without going into detail, let's just say it involved a Volkswagen, spewing antifreeze, overheating, and a freeway with road construction and closed off exits. And that was just Tuesday.

Navigating through one of these weeks can be pretty difficult. One thing after another hits you and you are left standing there wondering what in the world is going on. In the middle of it all, we can get frustrated, upset, and completely stressed out. Of course, some of us handle life's inconveniences better than others, but truth be told I don't think any of us truly enjoy them.

I think one of the reasons we struggle with life's unplanned challenges is that it leaves us feeling as though we aren't in control. Let's face it, we like to be in control of things. We like it when things go as planned and life goes on without any major inconveniences. But the truth is, cars break down, cable goes out, people drive slow in the fast lane, we get sick, the kid's puke all over the floor, friends and relatives die, the neighbor has a party until 3am, and traffic lights turn red. If you live life, you'll experience days, weeks, months, and even years that you wish you didn't have to experience. Scripture tells us that it rains on the just and the unjust. It also promises us that in this life we will have tribulation. And the only control you have over it all, is how you react to it.

Some blow their stack, others throw pity parties, some feel victimized, some panic, while others look for ways to escape or ignore it all. None of which changes anything at all. Bad things happen to us all and the only healthy way to deal with it is to deal with it. Sometimes life's challenges are bigger than we are and require God's intervention. That's when our response needs to be prayer mingled with faith in a God that answers prayer. Then there are those struggles that hit us that just require us to jump to action.

The other day when my car began spewing antifreeze all over the place and overheating and the closest exit to me was closed due to construction, and there was no shoulder to pull over on, I began praying that the car would not overheat and cause damage to the engine. As I watched the temperature gauge, it literally began going down. I was able to drive another couple miles until I could exit without the temperature doing anything but going down slightly. Once I exited though, some action was required on my part. Had I screamed, hollered, and kicked the car, I would have done little to remedy the problem (although it might have made me feel better at the moment). The action required was to get it to a repair shop. Problem solved. Life's challenge overcome. Meeting life's challenges head on, whether it's with prayer, action, or both, is the only way to overcome the problem.

Naturally, some of life's struggles involve things much bigger than a car overheating. And as I mentioned earlier, some require God's involvement. We serve an awesome God who promised us that we wouldn't face anything in this life that we would be unable to handle with His help. Believe it or not, God wants us to live victorious, overcoming lives. When this life throws challenges our way, God wants us to face those challenges with the confidence that we can overcome them. God created you to overcome this life, not to allow this life to overcome you. Trust me when I say, that overcoming challenges in life is an exciting way to live. It starts to make you look forward to life's challenges. Sure, we often thank God it's Friday, but I truly believe that the place God wants us to get to, is when we can say, "Thank God It's Monday!"