Thanksgiving Day reflections, 2023

I wanted to take a moment to express a heartfelt “Happy Thanksgiving” to you.  Psalm 136:3 says, “Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.”  I’m so grateful to the Lord for the incredible blessings He has given.  I’m thankful for family and friends; I’m thankful for eyes that can see, ears that can hear, and a mouth that can speak.  I’m thankful for a beating heart, health, and the opportunity to enjoy another day (this year has reinforced the idea that every day is truly a gift that should not be taken for granted).  But most of all, I’m so grateful for my personal relationship with the God of the universe.

You say, “I appreciate your unbridled positivity, but I’m not feeling that way.  I’m feeling miserable.”  I get it.  2023 has been incredibly difficult for me; it seemingly has been just one thing after another.  Just so you know, I’ve had times this year where I’ve felt weighed down with fear, anxiety, sadness, frustration, and heartache.  In those moments, how thankful I was for the hope, help, peace, and safety found in Jesus!  Proverbs 18:10 states, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it, and are safe.”

Months ago now, I began revisiting the 2016 film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”.  Its progress has been much too slow, I admit it.  But I haven’t forgotten about it.  For today, I bring it up because I’ve re-reading Paul Asay’s fine book on Batman titled “God on the Streets of Gotham: What the Big Screen Batman Can Teach us about God and ourselves”.  In chapter 6, Asay writes these words that have helped me; may they help you as well:

“Our faith doesn’t keep us from suffering.  It doesn’t save us from the anguish of losing a parent or child, the pain of losing a job or failing a class.  It doesn’t keep us from the real horrors that life can inflict on us - the abuse, the betrayal, the unimaginable anguish that, for whatever reason, sometimes we have to deal with.  But faith can save us from the mortal blow, the fire that would otherwise consume us.”  In the next section of this chapter, he quotes from an anonymous believer who puts it so well: “Finding God does not mean building a house in a land of no storms, but building a house that no storm can destroy.” 

God bless,

Kevin