A Time of Thanks
It is Thanksgiving, an ‘American Holiday’. It has many traditions. One of my family’s traditions (for as long as I can remember) has been to sit around the table and each of us tells a few things that we are thankful for from the last year. Having served in the Army, an old Army saying comes to mind, “Any Thanksgiving (or any day) that you are not being shot at, is a Good Thanksgiving!” Having had a few ‘bad’ Thanksgivings, good Thanksgivings are treasured.
This year, our ‘family reunion’ will be in the late Christmas season, since my family is currently scattered around the Globe (literally). So, I thought I would ‘share’ my Thanksgiving list with you…
Understand that my ‘view’ of Thanksgiving and the thankfulness I feel is viewed through the ‘lens’ of the sovereign grace of God (see the articles “Setting the Record Straight” and “Seeing Black and White in a World of Shades of Grey”). No thing happens that is not in His will according to His timing.
This has been an ‘eventful’ year for me.
10. Finally, through the grace of God, my disability claims settled. These claims relating to injuries suffered while in the military have been an ‘uphill’ battle to have them ‘adjudicated’. It has been a seven year struggle that finally ended with favorable results for me. [I learned many lessons about relying on God during these past seven years.]
9. The settlement of the disability claims has had two primary ‘results’ that are reasons to give thanks. The first is that I have been able to access more medical care in a timelier manner. The direct result of that has been a stabilization of my medical conditions (as stable as any ‘degenerative’ medical conditions can be anyway).
8. The second has been a stabilization of income. The last few years have been an odyssey through ‘relying on God’ when penniless and homeless. That odyssey, and the lessons regarding God’s view of debt are detailed in my other blog Unchained Slave - Free To Serve.
7. It is definitely related, but the opportunity to share my odyssey through an in depth study of debt both experientially and Biblically has been a real blessing in itself, and I am thankful for the opportunity to do that.
6. The opportunity of ‘entering’ the “blogosphere” is predicated on two inter-related things. The stabilization of income (I am now receiving disability pay that is ‘sufficient’ for my needs) and the ‘ability’ actually to ‘retire’ from the workforce (having to work seriously exacerbated medical conditions) have made my life much less stressful and allowed medical stabilization. It has also allowed the time necessary to read, research, and write blogs. I consider that a great blessing.
5. I am very thankful for my family, especially my parents. I love my mom and step-dad. It is funny, but there is an old adage, “The older I get, the wiser my parents become.” That is certainly true in my case. I really value the godliness and wisdom of my parents. This year it is particularly poignant. My mother, after hospitalization for a heart condition and fit with a pacemaker, is ‘fully’ recovered and back to her ‘old’ self. This was a scary and trying time. While we (the rest of my family and I) are confident that she is eventually bound for a far better place… We still value her in this life. At the same time, my step-dad, diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, is continuing to confound doctors having lived well past ‘their’ "best case" prognosis. Again, while assured that he is bound for a far better place, we still like him around. For a couple in their late 70’s their quality of life exceeds their doctors’ best estimates - a living tribute to the Grace of God.
4. I am thankful for friends. There are two groups to acknowledge. First, there are those friends, especially Ms. Nancy, Kathy, and Linda and D.L. that have opened their hearts and their homes to me. If it were not for them, I might well be celebrating Thanksgiving in a homeless shelter. They have supported me physically and financially through a number of tough years. (God has provided them to meet my needs when I did not know how I was going to make it.) Secondly, the friends I have made in the blogosphere. Loren especially (and his wife Nancy for ‘giving’ him the time to write and respond), has been a ‘God send’. His blog, "Pulpit of the Last Days", has been an inspiration and a place of learning. That does not even mention his contributions, challenges, and critiques of my blogs.
3. I would be very remiss if I did not acknowledge a great sacrifice. As I sit here pounding away at the keyboard, with a Bible on my desk, I have to give thanks. Without the sacrifice hundreds of thousands of men and women, this might not be possible. There are places in the world where internet access is limited, and owning a Bible is a crime. As a disabled combat veteran, and an American, I can truly appreciate the ‘oath’ to “uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States” that every member of our armed forces takes. Without these people, the FREEDOM that we Americans take for granted would not be possible. They preserve for us the rights and privileges we enjoy every day. If they are sitting at home with their families today, or in a foreign land, far from the ‘creature comforts’ we expect as ‘rights’ - they are all making sacrifices for us. If one agrees or disagrees with the “War in Iraq” or the “War on Terror”, that is ‘political’. The ‘right’ to disagree with policies regarding those wars is a ‘right’ they ensure. They do not ‘make’ political policy, they “obey the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over” them. So wherever they (you) are… I thank them for that sacrifice.
2. I am very grateful for the blogosphere itself. Without it, I would not have had the opportunity to share my experiences with debt. More importantly, I would not have the opportunities to tell you about the wonderful gift of salvation offered by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. My brother once told me, “There are only two things that last forever, the Word of God, and people.” He is right. John 1:1-2 tells us the “Word of God” is a facet of God Himself. That leaves us with people. The soul lasts forever. The question is where a person will spend that ‘forever’. I am blessed and thankful for the opportunity to share how you can have assurance that you spend forever in the arms of a Loving God instead of eternally separated from Him.
1. I am thankful for God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 I am so thankful for God’s love. While I have lived through some very difficult times, I know that without God’s love, I would not have made it. Without His promises, His gifts and His grace - in this life - I would be far worse off than I am. More importantly, without His greatest gift, His Son’s sacrifice, I would be without hope. I KNOW I am not ‘good enough’ to make it on my own merits. There are too many skeletons in my closet to even think that any good I could do would ‘erase’ the sins I have committed. I am so thankful that God has PROMISED that through His Son, my sins are forgiven. Whether I die today, tomorrow or thirty years from now, I know I have been judged “NOT GUILTY”. How can one be more thankful for anything than that one simple fact?
Happy Thanksgiving…
This year, our ‘family reunion’ will be in the late Christmas season, since my family is currently scattered around the Globe (literally). So, I thought I would ‘share’ my Thanksgiving list with you…
Understand that my ‘view’ of Thanksgiving and the thankfulness I feel is viewed through the ‘lens’ of the sovereign grace of God (see the articles “Setting the Record Straight” and “Seeing Black and White in a World of Shades of Grey”). No thing happens that is not in His will according to His timing.
This has been an ‘eventful’ year for me.
10. Finally, through the grace of God, my disability claims settled. These claims relating to injuries suffered while in the military have been an ‘uphill’ battle to have them ‘adjudicated’. It has been a seven year struggle that finally ended with favorable results for me. [I learned many lessons about relying on God during these past seven years.]
9. The settlement of the disability claims has had two primary ‘results’ that are reasons to give thanks. The first is that I have been able to access more medical care in a timelier manner. The direct result of that has been a stabilization of my medical conditions (as stable as any ‘degenerative’ medical conditions can be anyway).
8. The second has been a stabilization of income. The last few years have been an odyssey through ‘relying on God’ when penniless and homeless. That odyssey, and the lessons regarding God’s view of debt are detailed in my other blog Unchained Slave - Free To Serve.
7. It is definitely related, but the opportunity to share my odyssey through an in depth study of debt both experientially and Biblically has been a real blessing in itself, and I am thankful for the opportunity to do that.
6. The opportunity of ‘entering’ the “blogosphere” is predicated on two inter-related things. The stabilization of income (I am now receiving disability pay that is ‘sufficient’ for my needs) and the ‘ability’ actually to ‘retire’ from the workforce (having to work seriously exacerbated medical conditions) have made my life much less stressful and allowed medical stabilization. It has also allowed the time necessary to read, research, and write blogs. I consider that a great blessing.
5. I am very thankful for my family, especially my parents. I love my mom and step-dad. It is funny, but there is an old adage, “The older I get, the wiser my parents become.” That is certainly true in my case. I really value the godliness and wisdom of my parents. This year it is particularly poignant. My mother, after hospitalization for a heart condition and fit with a pacemaker, is ‘fully’ recovered and back to her ‘old’ self. This was a scary and trying time. While we (the rest of my family and I) are confident that she is eventually bound for a far better place… We still value her in this life. At the same time, my step-dad, diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, is continuing to confound doctors having lived well past ‘their’ "best case" prognosis. Again, while assured that he is bound for a far better place, we still like him around. For a couple in their late 70’s their quality of life exceeds their doctors’ best estimates - a living tribute to the Grace of God.
4. I am thankful for friends. There are two groups to acknowledge. First, there are those friends, especially Ms. Nancy, Kathy, and Linda and D.L. that have opened their hearts and their homes to me. If it were not for them, I might well be celebrating Thanksgiving in a homeless shelter. They have supported me physically and financially through a number of tough years. (God has provided them to meet my needs when I did not know how I was going to make it.) Secondly, the friends I have made in the blogosphere. Loren especially (and his wife Nancy for ‘giving’ him the time to write and respond), has been a ‘God send’. His blog, "Pulpit of the Last Days", has been an inspiration and a place of learning. That does not even mention his contributions, challenges, and critiques of my blogs.
3. I would be very remiss if I did not acknowledge a great sacrifice. As I sit here pounding away at the keyboard, with a Bible on my desk, I have to give thanks. Without the sacrifice hundreds of thousands of men and women, this might not be possible. There are places in the world where internet access is limited, and owning a Bible is a crime. As a disabled combat veteran, and an American, I can truly appreciate the ‘oath’ to “uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States” that every member of our armed forces takes. Without these people, the FREEDOM that we Americans take for granted would not be possible. They preserve for us the rights and privileges we enjoy every day. If they are sitting at home with their families today, or in a foreign land, far from the ‘creature comforts’ we expect as ‘rights’ - they are all making sacrifices for us. If one agrees or disagrees with the “War in Iraq” or the “War on Terror”, that is ‘political’. The ‘right’ to disagree with policies regarding those wars is a ‘right’ they ensure. They do not ‘make’ political policy, they “obey the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over” them. So wherever they (you) are… I thank them for that sacrifice.
2. I am very grateful for the blogosphere itself. Without it, I would not have had the opportunity to share my experiences with debt. More importantly, I would not have the opportunities to tell you about the wonderful gift of salvation offered by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. My brother once told me, “There are only two things that last forever, the Word of God, and people.” He is right. John 1:1-2 tells us the “Word of God” is a facet of God Himself. That leaves us with people. The soul lasts forever. The question is where a person will spend that ‘forever’. I am blessed and thankful for the opportunity to share how you can have assurance that you spend forever in the arms of a Loving God instead of eternally separated from Him.
1. I am thankful for God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 I am so thankful for God’s love. While I have lived through some very difficult times, I know that without God’s love, I would not have made it. Without His promises, His gifts and His grace - in this life - I would be far worse off than I am. More importantly, without His greatest gift, His Son’s sacrifice, I would be without hope. I KNOW I am not ‘good enough’ to make it on my own merits. There are too many skeletons in my closet to even think that any good I could do would ‘erase’ the sins I have committed. I am so thankful that God has PROMISED that through His Son, my sins are forgiven. Whether I die today, tomorrow or thirty years from now, I know I have been judged “NOT GUILTY”. How can one be more thankful for anything than that one simple fact?
Happy Thanksgiving…
posted by Unchained Slave at 12:45 PM
1 Comments:
Hi David,
Happy Thanksgiving to you. I appreciate your tradition of telling what you are thankful for, and I read your list. I am grateful for many of the same things, including your friendship and your blog articles which are always well research and very well presented.
There are also a couple of differences on our own list. Nancy and I spent Thanksgiving with my parents, who are not Christians. I also have a brother who lives in town but he is a JW, so unfortunately he would not attend a family gathering of this nature. So we do have a focus for our prayers. And fortunately we have a loving savior who is giving them some progress and opening doors in some hopeful ways -- but we're not there yet.
For Nancy and me, the holiday season is primarily a time for family and friends which can be fulfilling or lonely. So we'r also very grateful for each other.
I am also very thankful for the men and women in our nation's service who are sacrificing to guard our country and afford us such freedoms. I know that can be isolated and lonely too, but it also helps one appreciate the special comradery of those with whom they serve. There is another family in them.
Thanks again for the list and for the reminder of to whom we are thankful.
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