“Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship, because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ, long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients. We thank God for what He has done for us. We thank God for giving us brethren who live by His call, by His forgiveness, and His promise. We do not complain of what God does not give us; we rather thank God for what He does give us daily… In the Christian community thankfulness is just what it is anywhere else in the Christian life. Only he who gives thanks for little things receives big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts.”
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I am thankful for the deep blue evening sky, laughter, the noise of the wind in the trees or rustling the corn around our house, the peace and quiet of solitude (OK, little of that these days, but even so…), a furnace and a warm house, the smell of pies in the oven, a warm meal, work I can do to provide for my family, health, life, friends, family – especially my wife, freedom, Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s grace, God’s inclusion of a role for me in His plan for this world. I could go on, but I would start to bore you…
I am thankful for this holiday. I am thankful. Sometimes that is a statement of faith for me rather than a statement of emotional feeing. But I’ve found that God honors that statement of faith and provides the emotion when I make the statement and act consistent with that statement.
I believe there is a deep spiritual mystery in thankfulness, and the blessings and freedom an attitude of thankfulness opens up to us. And it just feels so good…
Posted by Jim at 08:20 PM. Filed under: Jim's Existential Ramblings •
