I wanted to build a garage this fall, but the prices of lumber have almost tripled in the last month. Because of the COVID virus, I can鈥檛 worship the way I want to on Sundays.
I鈥檓 not feeling very thankful right now. Some of you have lost your jobs and many people have lost a loved one to the pandemic, so you too may not be feeling very thankful right now.
Honestly, brothers and sisters, there is a huge difference between not being thankful to God and struggling with our life situation. I hope you are not living with guilt in your relationship with God, because you are not feeling very thankful this year. I pray the following will help a bit.
Please read some or all of the following: Psalm 28 (help in life) / Psalm 65 (Earth鈥檚 bounty) / Psalm 107 (deliverance from many troubles) / Psalm 116 (recovery from illness) / Philippians 4:6 鈥淒o not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with聽thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.鈥� NRSV.
Paul recommends that we give thanks in all things and that may feel like a stretch right now. Yet, recognizing God as the source of my faith in Jesus Christ reminds me of God鈥檚 love.
Somehow, this faith within me helps me to understand Paul鈥檚 words, for even though I won鈥檛 be building that garage this fall, or able to worship how I would like. God will somehow provide in due time and make my worship more meaningful.
My thanksgiving is not so lively as described in some of the Psalms. It is a calm and quiet reassurance, a sense of peace and contentment. If you see me with tambourine and dancing in the streets, I would suspect something other than thanksgiving.
Maybe the key here is taking that step of faith, whatever faith we have, for it is God鈥檚 gift.
Prayer 鈥� surrendering our struggles to God is thanksgiving in itself. God鈥檚 spirit will use our step of faith to grow our faith and to seed thanksgiving in our hearts and lives.
May God give us peace in our lives, hope in our struggles and thanksgiving to share.
A message from Pastor Doug Miner and your sisters and brothers of Messiah Lutheran in Assiniboia.
