Gratitude part 2 - November 23, 2009

Good Monday morning! A short week of work for many this week; I hope you all get both Friday and Thanksgiving off. Today we are going to be thankful for all that we have, whether it is a lot or a little. Today, I wanted to see if God could use our stuff for His glory even if we had what could be considered a lot of that stuff. Many of us in America have a lot of stuff; much more than many folks in the world will see in their lifetimes. This stuff can be both blessing and curse as along with all this stuff comes responsibility and upkeep. In light of Jesus telling the rich young man to sell all that he had and give the proceeds to the poor; the question we might ask is: can God use us with all of our stuff to spread His good news? The good news for many of us is, of course He can! Some may call for us to buy less, but in a faraway factory, a worker about to lose his job may call for us to spend more. You might also be called to host a family in need at some point. Even having others over for just one breakfast, lunch, or dinner takes effort and resources to accomplish. God can use those He has blessed with plenty to in turn bless those He has blessed with less. All of us depend on God for our needs whether we have much or little.

A little while back we examined our hobbies, some of which are quite expensive, and the good news that someone who didn't respond to the message of God directly, did respond to a shared interest in a particular hobby. Just recently we shared a time of good fellowship while hunting deer and pheasants for most of a week. As we have free and easy access to grocery stores and butcher shops, we must consider hunting more of a hobby than a necessity in this age; though as hunters we may state it that way only with reluctance. Some hobbies can and do take a lot of money and stuff to pursue, but that doesn't mean that God will not use all of it for His glory! If one of your hobbies is cooking, you probably know already how much God can use that hobby to bless others.

Not everyone has the skill of cooking in them; others have nothing to cook. I have seen the blessing from God in the sharing of meals and food too many times to count in my short life. This has gone both ways for me as at times I have had plenty and been able to share, and at other times had not so much and needed others to share with me. Jesus produces all food through His creation in the larger sense, but in His life on earth He often ate what others had to share. We know in our faith that those who shared with our Lord were blessed, but He also calls upon us to share with 'the least of these'.

All of us have an abundance of something. Those with no material possessions have an abundance of time; it's not hard to maintain nothing and the annual inventory is a breeze. I'm not making light of the poor, but trying to point out that there is something to be grateful for in all circumstances. Some of the most joyful and grateful people I have met in this life would be considered downtrodden by many standards. Gratitude doesn't require a whole lot of stuff, but we who do enjoy plenty have that much more to be grateful about!

Have a wonderful and grateful day in Christ! Tomorrow - Grateful acceptance when we find ourselves in need.

Bucky