Dear Cornerstone family,
Well, it’s the second week of November, and that means Thanksgiving is fast approaching. For many of us, Thanksgiving is the annual opportunity to be reunited with friends and family, to watch a little football, and to savor the flavors of our favorite holiday fare. (I can almost taste the turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie, can’t you?)
But the real question is not who will win the football game, or if Grandma will provide her melt-in-your-mouth yeast rolls, but will we be thankful on Thanksgiving? More to the point, what will you do to ready your heart for Thanksgiving? Take to heart these three simple instructions as you prepare to give thanks this Thanksgiving.
1. Take time to remember the experiences of this past year. Pay attention to what God’s providence has brought into your life. Review each month slowly and gain a sense for the narrative flow of the year. Take special note of the watershed moments and the smaller formative times where emotional memory is stored—times of great joy or sadness. Commit these moments to writing and add any on-the-spot reflections you may have.
2. Take time to trace these remembrances to the purposes of God. Since God is sovereignly directing all things according to His purposes (Romans 8:28-30), nothing in your life this year is without meaning. Therefore, take time to consider how the glory of God is expressed in what you’ve experienced this past year. Though you will be tempted to neglect the hard or difficult memories from the year, please don’t. Prayerfully ask God for the eyes to see and heart to interpret each experience—good or bad—according to the redemptive purposes of God (Philippians 2:13).
3. Take time to share what you see with others. After you’ve remembered and begun tracing these experiences to God’s purposes, share what you’ve learned with others. Take time over Thanksgiving Dinner with the family or set aside a few moments at a quieter time with a few close friends to share how God has been at work. Whatever the context, be intentional in your sharing and make much of God.
“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted.” —Isaiah 12:3b
Your servant,
