Times have been tough! And now it is turkey time... It can be so hard to be thankful when you or a loved one is grieving or suffering through challenging circumstances. During these tough times, we tend to not only question God, but actually blame Him for allowing things to happen that have caused us pain and suffering. At a time of Thanksgiving, being thankful can be as difficult as pulling teeth when you are in pain. It is also a time that old wounds tend to aggravated by the trigger of memories. For some people it may be first time experiencing a holiday without a loved one. Reflecting on this is a reminder of the importance of acknowledging Jesus as our personal Saviour and the painful sacrifice that He made for each and every one of us. Focussing more on that sacrifice will help put our own pain and suffering in perspective.
Everything that we experience on this earth is temporary and pales in comparison to anything we will experience in eternity. With the appreciation of this amazing gift, we can count our blessings instead of tears. At times we need to look harder than others; but, the more we become aware of others suffering around us, often we can come to see our blessings more clearly.
We can be a tough turkey and endure any circumstance if we focus on our gratitude for God's gift of salvation. And remember that our suffering allows us to share compassion with others in similar circumstances with the authentic words of "I understand what you are going through" that can only come from genuine pain. We do not have to be thankful for the painful experiences in our lives, but we can ALWAYS be thankful for the gift of salvation and how God can use our suffering for His glory.
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Treasure seeking involves the true eternal treasure that can only be found through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Too often we are short sighted and seek only earthly treasures that provide temporary gratification rather than laying up our treasures in Heaven that will never disappoint us, rust, break, or be stolen.
Tip: to make treasure coins to decorate your art journaling page, place double sided adhesive on a small piece of paper, apply foil to it and then use a circle punch to create a shiny treasure coin!
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December 01, 2020
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