Psalm 72:18-19
Bless be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his Glory!
Amen and Amen!
The feeling of thankfulness is wonderful, we are full of joy, we have just what we wanted. But how long does that joyfulness last?
Like so many Christmas gifts, we have waited expectantly, been dazzled by the wrapping, and were excited to reveal the wonderful thing inside. Maybe we are happy, grateful for the love and thoughtfulness expressed by our loved ones. Maybe it is one of those special gifts, the one we never thought we would ever get, because it is state of the art expensive, exquisitely and artistically crafted, and we jump up with shouts of joy.
Once the excitement is over, and it’s time to get back to the business of taking care of things, anywhere from seconds to minutes, maybe even as much as an hour later, we are complaining about the mess, the work, and the lack of help. Our gift is still there, put on a shelf, hung in a closet, and we are off looking for the next new thing, checking the fliers for the after-Christmas sales, rationalizing just a few other purchases put onto our credit card, extending the payments out just a couple of more months.
We don’t think of that emergency that is bound to come up, and when it does we cry and demand, “Why God! What am I going to do? How can you do this to me.” Not only do we rail against God, but forget our many gifts, including the gift of being able to make our own poor choices, and the gift of resources we have squandered. Resources that could have helped in our emergency. Instead of being thankful, we are complaining. Instead of being hopeful, we despair.
Some people just seem to know, beyond all reason it sometimes seems, that they are going to be okay. These people have faith, and are at peace, and instead of worrying they are joyful.
Our faith comes from the promise of the Bible. The promise of welcome and forgiveness. Instead of piling up gifts for ourselves we are called to share our gifts. Instead of squandering our resources we are called to share our resources. Instead of complaining we are called to give thanks for what we have. Instead of blaming God, or others, for the problems of the world, we are called to get to work, to feed the hungry, welcome the homeless, fight for justice, protect the weak, and share our hope.
No life is free of trials. This Christmas, let us remember our mistakes and missteps don’t stop God’s blessings, so let us praise God and be thankful.
Bless be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his Glory!
Amen and Amen!
The feeling of thankfulness is wonderful, we are full of joy, we have just what we wanted. But how long does that joyfulness last?
Like so many Christmas gifts, we have waited expectantly, been dazzled by the wrapping, and were excited to reveal the wonderful thing inside. Maybe we are happy, grateful for the love and thoughtfulness expressed by our loved ones. Maybe it is one of those special gifts, the one we never thought we would ever get, because it is state of the art expensive, exquisitely and artistically crafted, and we jump up with shouts of joy.
Once the excitement is over, and it’s time to get back to the business of taking care of things, anywhere from seconds to minutes, maybe even as much as an hour later, we are complaining about the mess, the work, and the lack of help. Our gift is still there, put on a shelf, hung in a closet, and we are off looking for the next new thing, checking the fliers for the after-Christmas sales, rationalizing just a few other purchases put onto our credit card, extending the payments out just a couple of more months.
We don’t think of that emergency that is bound to come up, and when it does we cry and demand, “Why God! What am I going to do? How can you do this to me.” Not only do we rail against God, but forget our many gifts, including the gift of being able to make our own poor choices, and the gift of resources we have squandered. Resources that could have helped in our emergency. Instead of being thankful, we are complaining. Instead of being hopeful, we despair.
Some people just seem to know, beyond all reason it sometimes seems, that they are going to be okay. These people have faith, and are at peace, and instead of worrying they are joyful.
Our faith comes from the promise of the Bible. The promise of welcome and forgiveness. Instead of piling up gifts for ourselves we are called to share our gifts. Instead of squandering our resources we are called to share our resources. Instead of complaining we are called to give thanks for what we have. Instead of blaming God, or others, for the problems of the world, we are called to get to work, to feed the hungry, welcome the homeless, fight for justice, protect the weak, and share our hope.
No life is free of trials. This Christmas, let us remember our mistakes and missteps don’t stop God’s blessings, so let us praise God and be thankful.
April Sutton
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