Be Thankful...

          Recently, I threw out some random questions to some students. They did not know where I was going with this line of questions I was sure but neither did I. I asked things like: how many of you have ever been in an accident? How many have been in a storm or hurricane outside of Trinidad? How many of you have ever experienced a flood? With each question I asked hands went up. Then I dropped the bomb as I said to them: Yet you are alive to tell the story. This was how I felt the Lord directed me to start one of my Religious Instruction classes. We would usually begin with each student having to say at least one thing they were thankful to God for. But on this particular morning I did not feel led to follow my usual route. I wanted them to see the importance of being thankful. Many people had not lived to see a new day; they had not survived an accident, or a flood or even a storm, but these students had survived various things life had thrown their way and I wanted them to be grateful.
      How often do we go through life and are not thankful and we don’t even realise it? We fuss and complain and grumble because things aren’t going the way we would like. In fact we become so consumed by our “problem” that we fail to see the good things that are happening around us: a healthy family, a job, friends, and above all life itself. The Word of God says that in everything we should give thanks for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus concerning us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Psalm 107:1 says: "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever." Our gratitude should go to God. As humans, we will fail and disappoint one another, but God will never let us down. Even when He doesn’t give us the answer we want, when we want it, it’s all good because we have the confidence that He will only give us His best.
      So at the end of another school day, it hit me. The day had been a whirlwind type of day. I felt as if a number of things were happening, a number of things had to be dealt with and at times it felt overwhelming. But when the school day ended I felt relieved and it came to me that I had so much to be thankful for. There were so many good things going on in my life. But the most wonderful thing in my life is God Himself. I don’t have to go through battles or trials alone; I have someone who has my back and whose desire for me is good NOT evil. He says in Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and NOT TO HARM you, plans to give you hope and a future. My future is bright because I’m in a relationship with a God who wants the best for me. There’s just one catch: I have to live my life His way and while that may seem at times so restricting - I can’t do this, I can’t do that - at the end of the day joy, peace, happiness are sure for me. So my encouragement to us is this: be thankful for what you have. Don’t waste time stressed over what you don’t. What is God’s will for you, you will receive and if He says no it’s still a win win situation because God will only give you His best.