New Year Pledge: Gratitude Always!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Even though a new year, laden with possibilities of new beginnings, lies ahead, I hope you won’t mind if I linger a bit on the Christmas we just celebrated.
When the Apostle Paul observed a problem within a certain church, he often addressed the difficulty in a letter. Even though 2000 years has passed, Paul’s letters make up much of the New Testament and remain relevant.
Paul addressed problems in the church at Thessalonica in two different letters. It was a tough time for those early Christians who were being persecuted for their faith.
Paul’s letter reminded them of the importance of living out the mission of Jesus in everyday life. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 is one of my husband’s favorite verses in which Paul reminds Christians “to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life … mind your own business and work with your hands.”
One of Paul’s final directives in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I’ve observed one distinguishing characteristic of a mature follower of Jesus is gratitude. The true test is when a person is filled with gratitude even when life’s circumstances are dire, but I recently realized it’s possible to be so distracted with busyness that gratitude is placed on the back burner of my soul. I confess this has been the case during many past Christmas seasons.
For some reason, though, that was not the case during Advent and Christmas 2022. As Ron and I lit an Advent candle each week, it seemed as if gratitude grew within my soul. In fact, Christmas morning, the intensity of my gratitude felt almost overwhelming.
As we gathered at our daughter’s home for brunch and gift giving, our group was comprised of
two widows who are still trying to adjust to Christmas without their beloved husbands of 40+ years;
a toddler who had no trouble learning how to unwrap presents;
our silly-seven-year-old grandson;
our pre-teen granddaughter, excited about getting blush and lip gloss in her stocking;
moms and dads, exhausted from days of shopping, working, wrapping, designing Christmas PJ’s, and cooking;
finally, this grandpa and grandma who delighted in every single second of joyous chaos.
Bekah, far right, made sure everyone attending Christmas brunch had fun PJ’s. She designed the t-shirts. Her kind gesture intensified my gratitude.
“Big boys” leave a legacy of playfulness!
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for joy of celebration.
Thank you for giving us the Christmas gift of Baby Jesus.
Thank you for friends, family, warm homes, bountiful food, and gifts galore.
Thank you for the generosity of others, extended even to the stranger.
Thank you for caring about every aching heart who misses a loved one.
As we enter this new year, remind us often to be grateful, to “give thanks in all circumstances!”
Amen
Happy 2023!!
