Category Archives: Thanksgiving

“Say thank you!” was a phrase I often heard from my parents growing up, as if I could ever forget with their constant reminders.

But as I grew older and the reminders stopped, I did find myself being less vocal about being thankful, and now that I am an adult, when someone says thank you to me I find that it makes me smile and often makes my day.

We seem to forget how important it is to say those two words, “Thank you.” There are so many people in my life who I am thankful for; some you would expect and some perhaps not.

Of course there are my family and friends, but also my civic leaders, and our police and fire departments, those who make my bread, and fix my car, those who cut my hair, and who serve our food.

I am limited in space but there are so many people who I am thankful for, including my congregation, my fellow ministers, the local funeral home and the Delta Optimist, which gives ministers space to share our thoughts.

But mostly I am thankful for a God who loves us enough to send us His Son to be my Saviour, and when I forget to be thankful or worse, doesn’t berate me, but rather opens His arms and says I love you, and forgives me my sins. What an amazing gift to be thankful for.

Published in Delta Optimist January 25 2013

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Faraz

Thanksgiving is the time of year when many gather around family, food and share the many blessings in their lives. Although there are many different traditions that surround this holiday, they all revolve around us being thankful for the good things in our lives.

Some of these blessings are having good health, being surrounded by friends and family that we care about, having a job, food on our tables, and some may even be thankful that it means an extra day off from work or school.

Whatever, we are thankful for when we sit around the table and think about our blessings, it is unbelievable how much we have to be thankful for.

During this time the hymn “Amazing Grace” often comes to mind. The part that often comes to mind is, “that saved a wretch like me.” We have so many things that we are blessed with that we often forget the greatest blessing of all. That blessing is the gift of eternal life in heaven with our Lord and Saviour.

This gift is open to all people and is very simple to have. John 3: 16 puts it clearly: “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.”

An eternal life without worrying or suffering, and it’s free! Now this is truly something to be thankful about. Happy Thanksgiving.

Pastor Steve Naylor

Published in Delta Optimist Oct 8 2011

Photo courtesy of designwallah on Flickr