In the month of November, particularly on Thanksgiving, we like to take a moment and thank God for all the many blessings he gives us. More than eating ourselves into a coma as we watch the football game, that's what thanksgiving should be about - giving thanks.

It's easy to be thankful when things are going well. We can look around us at all the many ways we have been blessed by God and can't wait to thank him for them. It's not easy, however, when times are tough. When we think about the chair that will sit vacant for the first time at the table on Thanksgiving this year, what do we have to be thankful for? When all the food was given to us this year because the money wasn't there to buy it ourselves, what do we have to be thankful for? When the people we love are too busy to join us and the phone doesn't even ring, what do we have to be thankful for? It's not easy to be thankful in all situations, but we should be.

God does not promise that we will not have moments when we struggle to find the good in every situation. God does not promise that sin will not continually come knocking on our door on this side of eternity. What he does promise, is that he will continue to take care of us and give us a multitude of reasons to be thankful in every situation. Just the fact that our Savior took away every sin and gave us the promise of our eternal life to come is enough of a reason to be thankful every minute of every day. Every day of your life, in every situation, with thanksgiving, lean on your God who loves you and blesses you always. Amen.

Pastor Caleb Rothfuss