“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.” I Chronicles 16:34 NIV

Thanksgiving is nearly here. And as always, I’m not quite ready. But this year will be different for most of us. It has been a difficult year. Some of you may have lost a friend or family member that celebrated with you last year. Some may not see members of their extended family as they try to protect them from illness. Some may be alone instead of with family far away. We will all have a story to tell this Thanksgiving.

But as much as we question God, seek to understand, voice our complaints, or are simply saddened; we must sift out the good in our lives and continually thank God for His blessings. Let our stories this year be stories of enduring thanks to the Lord for His goodness and His never-ending love. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

I sometimes have difficulty in discerning “God’s will” for my own life. But here, Paul makes it clear what part of God’s will is, and that is that we give thanks to God, no matter our circumstances. We discover the beauty in a sunrise and thank Him. We realize that things work without our intervention and praise Him. We see His hand in the loving comfort of a friend. We experience His love in shared grief and pain.

God’s love endures. God’s creation endures. God’s goodness endures. And so will we!

This week, let’s thank God for His love, His blessings, His goodness and His beautiful creation. Let’s sing Him a song, write Him a poem, or just shout His name in praise.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me in enduring thanks to our God.

Blessings and joyful thanks to God!