But our invitation to thankfulness isn't limited to the month of October, nor is it constrained to within the walls of a church. In fact, our thankfulness ought to overflow into our homes and cars - and can become a joyful part of our parenting journey. We can thank our children. We can teach our children to thank others. And we can make a point of thanking God, too. Maybe a sheet of paper on the fridge. Maybe a paper chain that grows day by day. Maybe a journal, a thanks-jar, or even a 140 character tweet. When given the opportunity to name those things for which we are thankful, it might be surprising to see what makes the list. Perhaps we are thankful for a sold night sleep after a particularly hectic period of teething. Perhaps our children are thankful for their favourite meal or the song they loved which played on the radio. Or maybe, just maybe, the things for which we will truly give thanks are so much more! Give a try...and give thanks to God.
This year I challenged my congregation to purposefully commit themselves to being thankful throughout the month of October. To help with this challenge, I posted a large piece of chart paper at the front of the sanctuary with the simple instructions...fill it! And they did - with all of the many wonderful things for which we were thankful. For family and for friends. For music and for scripture. For the Maple Leafs (shudder), for the ocean, and even for chocolate.
But our invitation to thankfulness isn't limited to the month of October, nor is it constrained to within the walls of a church. In fact, our thankfulness ought to overflow into our homes and cars - and can become a joyful part of our parenting journey. We can thank our children. We can teach our children to thank others. And we can make a point of thanking God, too. Maybe a sheet of paper on the fridge. Maybe a paper chain that grows day by day. Maybe a journal, a thanks-jar, or even a 140 character tweet. When given the opportunity to name those things for which we are thankful, it might be surprising to see what makes the list. Perhaps we are thankful for a sold night sleep after a particularly hectic period of teething. Perhaps our children are thankful for their favourite meal or the song they loved which played on the radio. Or maybe, just maybe, the things for which we will truly give thanks are so much more! Give a try...and give thanks to God.
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December 2016
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