This week, we had a homeless lady come in to the office and ask for help. She did not ask for us to pay for a hotel room; she did not ask us to buy her groceries; she did not even ask for clothing. She simply needed to wash and dry her clothes and to take a shower. Since we can provide both of these services in our activity building, we allowed her to access them. She was overwhelmed with gratefulness.
Being thankful can be relative to our situations. If you have had a tough year - perhaps you struggled with COVID, lost a family member, or had other emotional or physical issues – being thankful may not be the first thing that you consider doing when you wake up these days. We are often prompted to give thanks when our situation changes, or when we receive an unexpected gift. This is appropriate, but it should not be our primary motivation.
Instead, Paul commands us in Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In other words, thanksgiving is not merely a response, but a preemptive posture that guides our responses. I pray you are able to hold a “posture of Thanksgiving” throughout our fall season as we serve the Lord through many wonderful opportunities mentioned in this month’s newsletter.
I remain particularly thankful to be your pastor, both in this season, and for many to come!
Blessings,
Pastor Matt