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Pastoral
Pondering:
Recognize that there is
much to be grateful for |
Oh, give thanks, for God is good.
It’s the time of year when we pause and give thanks. We thank God for
the provisions of food and shelter. These things we consider basic, yet for so many people
in the world, they are things that can’t be taken for granted. We thank God for
family and friends, recognizing we wouldn’t be who we are without them, yet we know
that so many folks around us feel lonely.
Maybe this year we should be thankful for some other things, as well. What
about people who serve us on a daily basis? I recently heard of someone who “made
another person’s day” by simply using the word please. Do we show gratitude to
the store clerks, gas station attendants and restaurant servers? That’s right –
they’re paid to serve us. But, does that mean we shouldn’t show appreciation?
Here’s another one.
What about knowledge? All the time human beings are discovering more and more
treasures of God’s universe. Are we threatened by that? It’s my view that the
more we discover, the more we will see the divine touch in all creation.
Sometimes we take for granted the advances in medicine, technology and
engineering, but perhaps we should take time to be thankful for them. Think about what
life was like when we didn’t know what we have now. Maybe life was simpler back then,
but be thankful next time you get warm simply by turning on a knob on your wall or are
able to heat up your meal in a couple of minutes in the microwave.
And time, what about that?
We can be grateful for each day we have been given. And the time in which we
live is both exciting and fearful. Whether you are 9 or 90, you are alive right now in
2003. As we sing the scripture, “this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice
and be glad in it,” let’s really live in that attitude and gratitude. These are
just a few things for which to be grateful.
What’s on your list?
Paul Almquist, pastor at West Chehalem Friends Church. |
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From Nov. 8,
2003, Newberg Graphic
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