Thanksgiving thoughts and remember to be thankful for what you don’t have

Thanksgiving is two days away. As in TWO.DAYS. How many are feeling overwhelmed? I know that guy hangs around my door step a lot. Believe you me, there are times I feel more overwhelmed than anything else. What does this mean? Does it mean I am letting things of the world over take my faith in God? Does it mean I am not trusting in the Lord? Does it mean I have lots of responsibilities and I just keep adding more? Those are some things I want to address today. Because those of you who know me, know I am a fountain of got it together & follow through. Ha. LOL. OTFL. Or whatever hashtag these young’uns use now a days.

With all the things we have going on, cooking for the holidays, taking care of kids, running a household, trying to be the best version of you, health problems, money problems, & basically just problems, it’s no wonder we meet ourselves coming. When we feel like we can’t anymore, remember the Lord says we can:

Philippians 4:6-7 ⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(NKJV)

Psalm 27:1 ⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(NKJV)

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.(NKJV)

I Peter 5:7 ⁷casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.(NKJV)

The Lord wants to help the hurting & those that are needy, not the got it all togethers. If you are spending time in prayer, then you are have time well spent. Anytime you can have a conversation with the Lord, it’s not time wasted. There’s a beauty in the struggle that we don’t always realize. Within every problem, there is opportunity. Opportunity for change. Opportunity for seeing things a different way. Opportunity for learning. Don’t look at problems as the end of the world. Instead, see them as a lesson learned. See them as the Lord molding us into stronger, better people. Calm waters never make good sailors. Be thankful the Lord wants to equipt us for bigger things. And accept it. We, as people, want to tell God what is best for us. Instead of realizing God’s already got it all handled.

Here are some things that might help you keep it between the ditches:

Pray- Pray small prayers throughout the day. Or plan for prayer. Whether it be at the beginning of your day, at lunch, or when you go to bed. Just make sure you are keeping the conversation going with God. That in itself will help you more than you can ever imagine.
Make lists- I am a list person. If I don’t I get so easily overwhelmed. I have always heard the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. So, I try to break things down as I go. Knowing I am preparing Thanksgiving breakfast & dinner, I start out with a menu. Then, I make a list of what I will need to make everything. I also make a list of what we will need at the meal. I make a list of my groceries. I make a list of what I am going to prepare 1^st, 2^nd , 3^rd. Because that is easier to me than thinking I am responsible for making our Thanksgiving meals perfect & memorable for my dear family. See what I did there? Lists make me sane. The thought of high expectations overwhelm me.
Let people help you- Don’t think you have to do everything by yourself. If someone says, “What can I do to help?” Then by golly, have them something to do. Me & my sweetie handle the main Thanksgiving meal. The girls do the desserts. It just works out.
Read your Bible- What better way to feel peace & a calm about you, than to spend time in God’s Word? Prayer is talking to the Lord. That’s important. But letting God talk to you, through the Bible, is important, too.
Get away-Sometimes just getting away to clear your head makes all the difference in the world. If you can’t take a two week vacation to the Bahamas, you can get up, walk outside, and take a deep breath of fresh air. Changing your scenery by taking a drive or a walk always seems to put things in a better perspective.
Thank the Lord for what you don’t have. Sickness in your family, dealing with children that have lost their way, money problems, hungry mouths to feed and nothing to feed them, your own personal health problems, a car that won’t start, worn out tires, those are lots of terrible things to have to encounter. But what if you don’t have a sick child or your health is pretty good right now? Thanking the Lord for what you have is important. However, thanking Him for what you don’t have is just as crucial to having a thankful spirit.

I hope you all are doing good this TWO DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING. I know, I can’t get over it either. We have had some wonderful weather happening here in northeast Mississippi. The leaves are changing and the air is crisp. Just what the doctor ordered! Until next time I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.