GIVING THANKS....THANKFULLY GIVING!!!!

Today marks a week after Hurricane Matthew began its relentless attack on the East Coast after laying waste to the island of Haiti and its people. If you have not been praying for this little island nation, please start to do that NOW!!!

With that thought in mind, I want each of us that came through this storm to stop and say a prayer of thanksgiving. Yes, there may be piles of debris all over the area; power lines down and no power in your home or office; beaches eroded, homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair...and with all that, the future may indeed look bleak. But in Philippians 4: 6, God's Word instructs us as follows; "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

So there are your marching orders...don't worry, trust and thank God!!! Now, I personally know that is one of the most difficult things that we as Christians are called to do...to let go of our circumstances, thank God for where we're at and trust that He is moving us forward to a better place within His will. We, in our puny mindset, only see the devastation and destruction that may be all around us and we find it impossible to thank God for where we are...that I understand; however, we are not to dwell on what we don't have or what we have lost, rather we are to be thankful for what we still have and trust God to restore and replenish that which we have lost with treasure from His bounty...and then we are to look for ways to give to those who have lost even more.

Let me mark this next passage to say that I am not patting my wife or I on the back, but offering a suggestion that may have not come to mind just yet as all of us in the southern U.S. get back on our feet. 

My wife and I were heading to a consignment shop this week to drop off some clothes to sell on their racks to receive a few dollars back to spend on ourselves once again. At that time my wife (ever the smart one in our duo) suggested that we take them to a Helping Hands ministry so that they could be given to those that may have lost everything due to the hurricane and the ensuing flood waters...this morning we are happily making that trip to drop off our stuff, ever thankful that we have more than enough and that God would grant us the privilege to share with those in need.

So today, don't just count your blessings....look for a way to SHARE your blessings with those who maybe at this moment can't pray a prayer of thanksgiving...but not only can you pray and petition with thanksgiving, now might be the time to show your Heavenly Father just how thankful you really are by giving away the blessings that He has given you and rejoice with those in need that He is able to do above and beyond all we can imagine...for we serve a Living Savior and He is calling you to serve Him today.

In His Grip...Serving with a Thankful Heart,

WPQ