Be  Thankful

We have become so accustomed to thinking of Thanksgiving in terms of gratitude for material blessings and nature's bounty that we find it hard to think in terms of being grateful for God's good gifts that are hidden in experiences we resist or try to avoid.  Therefore...

Let us thank God for the opposition we have had to meet, the resistance that has forced us to put forth our best effort, the disputes that have compelled us to re-examine our arguments and flaws.

Let us thank God for the struggles that have caused us to grow, the defeats that have kept us humble, the losses that have made us cautious, and the dangers that have kept us alert.

Let us thank God for some of the enemies we have made, for to have no enemies means that we have not taken issue with wrong, defied any evil or rallied to the defense of the oppressed.

Let us thank God for our critics who tell us the truth about ourselves.

Above all, let us thank God that good has often come out of evil; that struggles we would have preferred to avoid have turned into blessings; that confident in His love and goodness, we have found strength and courage to face whatever comes -- to "run the race that is set before us."

                                  ---Author Unknown