My Thanks
Every year, we’re faced with the topic of Thanksgiving at
church. Often, it feels as if we’re being told to say our “pleases”
and “thank yous.” Instead of a message on thanks, it becomes
a scolding that we “should” and “ought” to be thankful. As a
‘servant teacher,’ which is how I view my role here at He’s the
Solution, it’s hard to toe that delicate line of delivering a positive
message or a sound nagging on being thankful.
So, I’m not going to do that here.
I don’t know what you have to be thankful for this year. I don’t
know what struggles you’ve faced or what types of blessings
you’ve received. It’s not fair for me to say, “You should be
grateful for this or that.” In truth, especially when you’re
struggling, it’s often hard to offer up a rousing bit of thanks.
When the business feels out of sync, when the kids are
stubborn, or when Jaclyn and I don’t see eye to eye, it’s hard to
focus on all the good stuff that’s also taking place. Yet, I know
that when I’m not focusing on the blessings, even the ones
hidden inside the challenges, I’m less productive, less positive,
and definitely less pleasant to be around.
So, this Thanksgiving, I want you to know I’m thankful. I’m
thankful that God has given me the foresight and strength to
work for myself and make a living for my family. If you ask
anyone who knows me, I don’t do too well being told what to
do. God understands this better than anyone. He continually
paves the way for me to flourish and thrive as an entrepreneur.
I’m thankful for Jaclyn. God has given me a smart and talented
woman who bolsters me in my business, helps me in the areas
where I’m weak, supports me in the areas I excel, and
challenges me when I need a good swift kick in the butt!
I’m thankful for my children. They have taught me more about
love and patience than anyone in the world!
I’m thankful for God, and He’s the Solution. I can’t express to
you what this ministry means to me and my spiritual growth.
The quiet time I spend in studying God’s word has helped me
become a better man. I know I have miles and miles to go, but
I feel that I’m now on an upward trajectory, rather than merely
staying status quo. What a difference that has made in my
personal life, marriage, and day-to-day professional dealings.
When I unpeel the layers of every single challenge I’ve faced, I
can see God’s gift at the very center of it was meant to make
me a better man, husband, father, employer, colleague, and
partner. I’m genuinely grateful for these challenges because
each one has shone a light on a particular characteristic—pride,
anger, materialism, defiance—that was holding me back.
As author and Pastor, Rick Warren, wrote:
“Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re
just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another
one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your
character than your comfort; God is more interested in making
your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be
reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life.
The goal is to grow in character, in Christ’s likeness.”
I’m grateful that God has been and still is so interested in my
growth!
So, I’m not going to tell you what you should be thankful for,
but I pray each day that you are grateful. Not because of
‘oughts’ and ‘shoulds’ but because gratefulness is a balm for the
soul, a vaccine for despair, and an antidote for hopelessness.
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I WILL EXTOL THE LORD AT ALL TIMES; HIS PRAISE WILL
ALWAYS BE ON MY LIPS.
