Come, Ye Thankful People

I love Thanksgiving. As our chapel speaker, Bill Crowder, pointed out today, Thanksgiving, unlike Christmas and Easter, is one of those holidays that secularists just can't mess up for us. Tomorrow, our family will go to church in the morning, and then come home and make some final food preparations before going to my parents' house for dinner. This year should be a special celebration, with my brother Tim and his family, my cousin Joy and her husband and two-year-old twin boys (adorable!), and my parents all gathering together. We'll eat the traditional favorites, like broccoli and cheese casserole, pecan pie, and the Selden stuffing.

And somewhere along the line, probably during dinner, we'll go around the table and name the things for which we are thankful. In a school newsletter this week, Jonathan's principal, Mr. Netz, suggested that everyone name five things for which they are thankful. So to honor family tradition and Mr. Netz, here are five things for which I am full of gratitude (not in any real order here).

1. The catechism writers said it best, and I am thankful for the heritage of words full of truth and beauty that they have left us: That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death--to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all of my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me whole-heartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

2. My family: Katie and Jonathan are my blessings from the Lord. It is a joy to see Him working in their hearts and lives, to hear them laughing, to see them studying, to watch them with their friends, to talk with them, pray with them, correct them at times, and to enjoy their love. My parents are a priceless treasure, a godly example of love in action. What a blessing they are to Katie, Jonathan, and me.

3. A new person in my life to love: Yet another demonstration of God's generosity to me, and an example of how He surprises us sometimes when we aren't expecting it with His greatest gifts. This is another example of how God is able to give "more abundantly than all that we ask or think." What an amazing thing for God to place a person in my life who is so special that I wouldn't have even known to ask for someone with his excellent qualities.

4. My church and pastor: Again, what a great blessing to be a living member of a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. It is a happy thing each week to go to church with the expectation that I will hear preaching about Christ and Him crucified, and to have that expectation met. Our pastor faithfully opens the Word of God to the congregation, and we know that Word has been delivered in wisdom and boldness. And this evening I was reminded of our pastor's care for the flock when I walked into the church to pick Katie up from catechism and saw her and another young man having a great conversation with their pastor about some important issues. He gave his time happily to discuss important matters with these two teens.

5. My job and my co-worker friends: What a rare thing to have a job where I have the opportunity to do the things I love and use the talents I have been blessed with. And I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with; they are far more than co-workers. We are truly a team, and we all are friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, who work together. The special people I work with everyday have become such an important part of my life, and now I find it hard to imagine what life would be like without them.

6. (I know, I said five!) My friends, some of whom read this blog. You are all treasures, and I so value your encouragement, the time you give to me to talk and laugh and share, and the prayers you offer up on my behalf. You are among His "countless gifts of love."