As we enter the month of November, I am reminded to be thankful. This past October was different for both Pastor Jeremy and me. It was our first October as pastors, which means it was the first time we were on the receiving end of “Pastor appreciation month.” I want to thank everyone for their prayers, cards of encouragement, and gifts. I am thankful for everyone who attends St. Paul’s Free Lutheran Church. Thankful that I get to share this year of internship with you all. Thank you!
I think that it is only natural that November follows October. November is a month when our minds are turned to the idea of being thankful. I mean, we celebrate Thanksgiving this month after all. Thanksgiving has always been a holiday to look forward to. Who doesn’t love a holiday that is designed for eating as much as you possibly can? However, this year I want to challenge everyone to think about what they are giving thanks for. Is Thanksgiving just a day off work and a time of eating a lot of food? That is what it seems to be every year, at least in my family. Why don’t we treat Thanksgiving as a time to give thanks? It’s right there in its name. Think about those people who are important to you. Those people who have done a lot for your sake.
I think of my parents who sacrificed financial stability to move our family from Ohio to Minnesota because of how badly I was bullied in middle school. I think of my friends who are there to encourage me when I am struggling through life. These are just two groups of people I am thankful for. The list can go on. I am thankful for my sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, coworkers, and the people of St. Paul’s. I’m thankful for each group in different ways, but it doesn’t change the fact that I am thankful. Who are the people you are thankful for in your life? Who has impacted your life and been a blessing? Are you thankful for them? Take this month that we celebrate Thanksgiving to give thanks to those people. I may be taking the easy way out by thanking you all through this newsletter but try and thank those people who are a part of your life. Show gratitude for the things they’ve done for you. A simple “thank you” or “I appreciate you” can go a long way. Think of all the blessings you’ve been given and give thanks for them.
There is someone that I haven’t mentioned yet, and I wanted to finish this newsletter talking about Him. The Psalms regularly call us to “give thanks to God.” When we remember the blessings that we have been given we should remember the One who gives us those blessings. Our friends, family, clothes, food, and housing are all blessings that God has given us. All that we have is given to us by God. He is also there for us. We know that God the Father loves each of us. He sent Jesus to die for each of us. God the Son, Jesus Christ, gave up life in Heaven to die for each of us. He did this “for the joy set before him.” God the Holy Spirit lives in each of us who believe, to guide and protect us as we go through life. There may be times that we don’t feel like being thankful, but that doesn’t change what God has done for us. Jesus still died to give each of us life. That gift is something that we can rest on no matter what. We give thanks to God because He deserves our thanks. This November, I want to be more thankful for all the things that God has given me. I want to ask each of you to join me in focusing on the good things God has given you. To thank God for His daily blessings and to thank those people that God has put in your life. This is Thanksgiving month after all.
In Christ,
J. Scott Pierson
