Giving thanks

As I sit here stuffed full of Thanksgiving turkey and dressing and having some quiet time after family time, I have started thinking about for what I am truly thankful. There are alot of things on the list and I'm sure that most who read this would say similar things for which they are thankful. My family comes to mind first. My wife, kids, dogs and extended family are somewhere at the top of the list. (After this week, karaoke will never be the same!) As I sit in my living room surrounded by all my "stuff", I think about how God has blessed me with material things. We are not wealthy by some's standards but we, as most in the United States, lack for very little. God has also given me and all of my family good health and good friends. Most of our friends, but not all, come from our church and are something I do not take for granted. They are up high on my thankful list.

I have also been blessed to travel to some other countries. In trips to Mexico, Israel and Germany I have gotten the chance to see how differently some people live and what is interesting is how the amount of "stuff" one has is not in proportion to one's happiness. We all pray for God's blessings on our lives but what does that really mean? When we pray for God's blessings are we praying for happiness...safety..."stuff"? I wonder what would happen if we prayed for contentment? That could be a dangerous prayer! That might result in losing some of our "stuff"! I say that because some of the most contented people I have ever met always had the least amount of "stuff". Some of the happiest people on the planet are living in houses made out of spare pallets with tin and tarps for roofs in the interior of Mexico. I cannot wait to go back to visit some friends in Reynosa. I learned so much from them about what it really means to be happy.

I hear what you are saying. "Money can't buy happiness but I'd like to try it for awhile!" I know what you mean and sometimes I feel the same way but if I were to be completely honest I know deep down that money and "stuff" can just get in the way of true happiness and contentment. So, am I saying that if you have money you can't be happy? Absolutely not. Nor is there anything wrong in any way with having money or even having alot of money. It is just not the source of one's happiness.

I remember being in Mexico and seeing the incredible poverty there and thinking to myself, "Why not me?". Why did God choose to put me in a time and place that I have everything that I have? Why was I not put in the condition of being utterly destitute as some have been? As you can imagine I do not have answers to those questions. What mortal man could have any claim to the sovereignty of God? The Bible says rightly that His ways are higher than our ways and I know I will not completely understand until I see Him in Heaven but I cannot help but wonder.

This has been a great Thanksgiving for me. Mama cooked another incredible feast and the karoake machine is smoking. Lots of football was watched and we even worked in the yard some. As I grow older, family becomes more and more important to me and I am very thankful today for all that I have but especially for the people around me. About a month from now I get to go with my daughter to Nicaragua on a mission trip and I am so excited. I am excited for several reasons but mainly so that she and I both can be reminded about what it means to be truly happy and contented, even joyful! I look forward to meeting some new friends and being able to share some of the material blessings that God has allowed us to have but also to be able to share the Good News about Jesus Christ! I expect it to be a great trip for all involved. Hmmm...I wonder if that might be at least part of the reason why God has put me here...