That Time of Year
Thanksgiving brings so many memories of special times and places shared with friends and family. Our first Thanksgiving as a family in the Philippines was in 1987. Our family was driving from Manila to Mountain Province where we lived about a twelve hour drive. Our Thanksgiving meal consisted of peanut butter sandwiches. We stopped to spend the night at the Bagabag Wycliffe Bible Translator’s compound when we reached the halfway point. We stayed with some Australian friends who graciously opened their home to us. (Australians don’t celebrate Thanksgiving as Americans do.) We reached their home late and where thankful for a place to stay. That is where we were introduced to Vegemite. A big favorite with Australians and eaten similarly to how we eat peanut butter. Vegemite is a thick dark brown spread made from leftover brewers’ yeast extract. We lathered it on our toast the next morning and quickly realized the difference! This is now a special Thanksgiving memory!
I also like to considering some of our eternal blessings as described to us in Ephesians chapter one at this season. There are so many blessings that we have as believers in Christ Jesus that we enjoy now and that will go on into eternity. It tells us there that God planned to “adopt” us into His family before time began! It is hard to wrap your mind around this, the Creator of everything planned this for us! He has a purpose for each one of us individually and enjoys pouring His grace on us. “Pouring” He is not skimpy with His grace! We can each move into our purpose with His help. We don’t have to work out things on our own. That is good news!
God not only has a plan and an individual purpose for each of us, but He deliberately chose us and blesses us. Ephesians 1: 3-8 tell us all this. “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
I love how verse eight says God “lavished on us” all of this! I like to think of God’s grace just pouring over me and rubbed in deep like a soothing lotion. Just think about all that God has planned and has already done in your life! Verses 13-14 goes on to say: ”In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” I like guarantees!
Everything that God is doing in our lives is connected. What is happening in our lives today relates to what will be in the future. God is working out His plan for our good. We just have to be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading day by day. He will guide our decisions and allow situations to work out for the highest eternal good.
So along with being thankful for family and friends this Thanksgiving, spend a little time reading over Ephesians chapter 1 and let all God’s amazing blessings and purpose flow over you afresh.
Happy Thanksgiving!
