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Be thankful for our blessings

Wendy Townsend is campus pastor at Southgate Church in Maple Ridge.
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How is your fall season panning out?

Is it currently full of school, soccer, dance, hockey, meetings, work, homework, theatre, family, friends, shopping, festivities?

Tired just talking about it?

September and October always seem to be busy. We skip and dance through the summer (what there was of it) and then the structure of September happens and off we go.

Somewhere in there, between Christmas shopping at Costco and Halloween, we have Thanksgiving, which just passed.

We take the day to recognize things that we are grateful for and what we appreciate, and then off we go again.

Do you remember what you said you were thankful for, or has it already disappeared in the midst of the chaos?

On Thursday, Jan. 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament declared: “A day of general Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”

Thanking God for being blessed is rich in our heritage.

Nowadays,  most of us probably don’t think of bringing in a harvest, unless we consider shopping at Langley Market as harvesting.

But we can be thankful for the blessings we do have.  Not just for material things, even though in Canada we are all rich compared to other parts of the world, but be grateful for friends, family, health, even each breath we take.

But some don’t give credit to God, maybe because of their own beliefs and doubts, or maybe because we all work so hard to make ends meet. We take the credit for our blessings.

When Jesus spoke on the mountain, he talked about money and possessions. He said: “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food or drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food and your body more than clothing. Look at the birds, they don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns for your heavenly Father feeds them, And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are.”

You are far more valuable to Him, whether you believe it or not. He believes it and He believes in you and wants to care for you. So if each day we can look for something to be grateful for and try to see how God has a hand in it, everyday would be a thanksgiving day.

Jesus went on to say in that same passage: “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it’s own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

So, take the time to reflect, even if just for a moment during the day as you pick the kids up from school, or on your drive home from work, or maybe when you plunk down at the end of the day. Lay down your worries for the days to come and look around for your blessing of the day.

Trust me, it will bring a smile to your face.

Wendy Townsend is campus pastor at Southgate Church in Maple Ridge.