November is best known for Thanksgiving.
That holiday dedicated to two things—being thankful and eating turkey!
I know a little something about both—
Being thankful because that’s how I try to live, and…
Eating turkey because that’s my main protein I consume so that I can continue to live!
All of America participates in Thanksgiving—no matter the religion, Americans give thanks.
And then we take naps and watch football and eat way too much at our 2nd and 3rd sittings while giving thanks!
You know the Thanksgiving drill—we all have lived it each year—promising NOT to do it again, but we do.
But the Giving Thanks part?
Not so much and not too often.
We are a grumbling, murmuring nation.
We complain about so much—it’s just our nature to compare how much more someone else has.
I had a conversation with one of my adopted kids recently.
They were asking why others seem to do so well, but they are constantly struggling financially.
I know, I know… this is where the televangelist says “if you will just sow a seed of $1000—God will bless you!”
Well…I am NOT THAT televangelist—I do not subscribe to the “you have to give money to get money” philosophy/scheme that is propagated across our religious lines today.
All that is happening there is—those who need the money most are giving it to those who deserve it least!
But…don’t get me started on that!
Back to my conversion…
I surprised him when I said …
“You have got to quit looking to the left and the right—and get focused and determined with what’s ahead!”
I went on to say—“when you are asking why they are doing so well, and why aren’t I blessed like them…
You are sounding ungrateful and oblivious to all of the blessing you already have!”
I continued “You cannot concentrate on advancing on the path God has prepared for you while you are distracted by looking at the plan God prepared for someone else—that does NOT matter— that’s NOT your plan! Until you focus on finding the path God designed for you and WALKING THAT PATH… you are just murmuring and complaining, just like the Israelites in the Wilderness!”
I then asked him “do you know why the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness? BECAUSE they murmured and complained! It’s a 20 mile stretch, but it took them 40 years to cross it because they complained”
I went on to explain that he has to refocus on the good in his life—the blessing he already has—that God has already given him and ask himself “if God never answered another single prayer, would HE have already done enough for me?”
When I asked that, he fumbled and hesitated—I retorted “Wrong Answer—go back and think that again because IF HE has not already done enough for you—you are ungrateful and unappreciative of what He has already done—that does NOT impress God and you are blocking your own blessing by your murmuring and complaining!”
I then asked him to ask himself this “Am I loved? Am I appreciated? Am I healthy?” I reminded him of his family situation and how many people in this world have all the money in the world but have no one who loves them, no one who appreciates them or they have a health crisis that money cannot fix! He is loved by his family, appreciated by his children and in good health!
I explained that God is watching to see “if I never do another thing for you—will you still love me and serve me with gladness in your heart?”
My last words to him were “you have got to reset your thinking, refocus your direction, recenter your path! Faith only moves when doubt has been overcome—Faith says “I will live for HIM if HE never does a single other thing for me because my God is more than enough and my God has DONE more than enough—for ME!”
I sent him to I Kings 18 and 19—to see how Elijah wound up under a juniper tree wishing he were dead!”
I challenged him “Whatever things are True, Just, Honest, Pure, Lovely—think on these things!”
Sometimes, we have to love our kids enough to scold and chastise them—for their own good!
What about you?
How thankful, focused and determined are you?
Here’s an exercise that I am doing this month—and I CHALLENGE you to do the same!
On Facebook—EVERY DAY IN NOVEMBER…
Post one thing that you are thankful for!
Just one thing!
The goal?
BE THANKFUL In ALL Things!
Give thanks for He is Good!