November 25th, 2020

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, my friend and teammate, Dereem Hoff describes "having an attitude of gratitude". Check it out in this video.

Well - with thanksgiving now behind us, it still might be difficult to have an attitude of gratitude because you might not be part of any large family gatherings this year, there is no doubt that God still gives us the best Christmas present, ever: a family as big as the number of stars in the sky (if you can count them).

God knows we need friendships. That's why we feel so empty when we can't physically be near each other, look in each others' eyes when we talk, or share tangible experiences with each other. Our friends, family, neighbors, and communities are God's gift to us. No matter who they are, where they're from, what they've done (or will do) - God has given us a family as many as the stars in the sky.

How do I know that? Because God has promised Abraham in Genesis 15:5: Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”​ You and I are part of that family. Your neighbor is part of that family. The people around you are part of that family. We are part of God's family not by human desire or effort, but on God's mercy (Romans 9:16).

So, here are two ways you can develop or continue investing in your habit of having an attitude of gratitude for the very large family God has given us.

• Memorize a Bible Verse, each day! It can be the same verse everyday. Rooting ourselves in God's promises keeps our eyes on Him and the family He has placed around us.

• Say, "thank you" every chance you get. Even if you aren't sure what specifically you're saying thanks for, let the thankfulness ooze, flow, and explode from your words and actions. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

This season, as many of us might be searching for the Christmas spirit, we are reminded that God, our Father, sends our brother Jesus into the world. Jesus is born like us. Jesus grows up like us. Jesus eats, breathes, and sleeps like us. Jesus experiences life, like us... so that in years like 2020 when we feel isolated, lonely, and not so joy-filled, we know that beyond a doubt we are never alone. Even though we may feel lonely, we can trust that the God of the universe never leaves us completely lonely. And, through Jesus, we never lack a family who  “gets” us.

Afterall, the reason we have family gatherings, exchange gifts, celebrate with food and singing, and carve out time to worship this holiday season is to love Jesus back because He first loved us.

​Love you. -pt