This week the centerpiece of many Americans and Canadians will including turkey, sweet potatoes, bread stuffings, pumpkin, and cranberries. Of course, these traditional pieces will be complemented with native or cultural dishes. If I visited my sister’s house, for example, I am absolutely sure oxtails, curried goat, fried chicken, and rice with peas will showcase their colors, textures, and aromas in the line up of dishes.
Thanksgiving in America is celebrated for different reasons by many different people. Some will be celebrating the “harvest” and other blessings of the past year, others think of no other reason but to get together with family, eat, and be merry. Others dread the mere name of this national holiday. To them, and their fore-parents, it isn’t a memory to celebrate.
It is around this time of the year that most people find their way to church, or they’d pause for a few moments to express gratitude for things, people, and services. But I’m here wondering…🤔
How many lips and hearts will join together in giving God thanks for bad days, horrible friends, bad deals, wrong turns, bad situations, bad circumstances?
It’s tough, I know- afterall, you’ve lost opportunities, health, love ones, friendships, material gains, and the list goes on. Why would anyone be grateful for those?
But have you looked in those situations and seen the good? Have you realized how much the experience made you stronger, wiser, more spiritually dependent? If you haven’t seen it yet. It’s coming. Why? Because God says it, and my God doesn’t lie.
Paul makes this point in Romans 8:28.
“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
In other words, we need to see that “every disappointment is for a good”, as my grandma regularly said.
I know that not everyone will easily accept this concept. Understanding can only be had by those who Love God and are called according to His purpose.
Trust me, I have had my share of disappointments. Sometimes, immediately I’ll see the good in my bad situation, other times it took years for me to realize that it was all apart of the Master’s plan for something better.
People of faith especially know that sometimes…
…our SETBACK, is a SET-UP, for a COME BACK
dr. CARLTON Byrd
Too often, our thanksgiving is based on our circumstances and our feelings about those circumstances. Therefore when things are good we are thankful; but if things are bad, we are quiet, or worse – we complain or curse.
This year, let your Thanksgiving prayer or speech be one with a difference. Thank God for the good, but don’t forget to find the good in the bad and thank Him for those also…
Because in everything…
Give thanks!
Here’s my prayer-
Merry Melodious Melody
Thank you Lord for Your blessings on me, please help me to give thanks in the bad as well as the good times.Sometimes what the Enemy intends for bad turns out for our good, as you Sis Melody quote,Dr. Byrd. “Our Set Back, is a Set Up, for a Come Back” Watch Ya Man! Every Disappointment Is for a Good good for those that loved the Lord . Thank you Lord for the many disappointments that showed up in my life. If I didn’t have a problem I wouldn’t know that you can solved them. THANK YOU LORD!!
I st Thess 5:18. Says
In every thing give Thanks
Do we really give Thanks for everything ? I think it’s a hard question to answer, most likely when we get good gifts we give Thanks but sometimes we get gifts that are not so good we don’t remember to say Thank you , especially if we do not care for the kind of gift we receive,but we should give thanks for everything,
Recently I had an accident and broke my Knees how can I give thanks in such situations ?
Then my husband reminded me saying that I am always saying in everything five thanks so I pull myself together saying God I Thank you It could be worse I still have my two feet I give you THANKS
Let us remember don’t forget how bad it gets it could be worse just give THANKS
Let’s keep on trusting in the GREAT I AM
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏