In Germany we are celebrating „Thanksgiving“ today. So I feel inspired to write and share with you some impressions. If we would directly translate the German Word for „Thanksgiving“, „Erntedank“ into English, it would be „Harvestthanks“ or „thanking for the harvest“. In early days in Germany, most people were farmers and lived from their own harvest. The „Harvestthanks“ literally meant thanking God for all the harvested produce. Nowadays, since very few are farming, and most of us not, what is our “Harvestthanks”?
I’m today reflecting on all the things God has blessed me with.
I’m so grateful for the gift of life.
When I look at my two wonderful daughters, I’m so amazed at how God has created them, how healthy, perfectly formed, no missing body parts… When I think about the way I look at my kids and marvel at them, I am reminded on how God our heavenly Father, the creator of our flesh and bones is looking at us and celebrating His perfect Work of creation.
Then I can really meditate on that scripture in Zephaniah 3:17 „the Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.“
How often are we discontent with ourselves? How often do we rather feel stuck with our human flaws than see the many little things that are actually good? God who created us, rejoices over us His creation. He knows the real value of what he has created.
My little daughters have no idea yet how precious they are to me, and they might never realise why I can simply look at them and rejoice over their lives (even with their excesses). I think that this is how it is with our own lives. We have no idea how much value we actually have before GOD, the Almighty, the Sovereign, and ever Faithful.
The same with the things that God has blessed us with. Do we really know and see the value of it? How often do we compare ourselves with others in terms of what they have and we don’t? Let’s look at our own lives today and take stock of what we actually have?
Maybe the working place comes with a lot of stress and imperfections, but it has helped to pay the bills last year?
Maybe the apartment you are living in is not the dream house you have in mind, but you have an address to retire to with a roof over your head; a protection from all kinds of weather.
Maybe you have problems or conflicts in your family but atleast you have people around you that you can share life with and who form you?
Maybe you don’t swim in money but atleast you have s.th. to eat, drink and to dress everyday.
I think a lot of times we tend to evaluate our lives too critically and as a result miss out on the precious moments making up our daily activities. So why not take today and think about the things that you can be grateful for, reflect on those things that you have planted this year where you can already see some progress or even a full harvest?
And please remember it’s not about perfection!
Especially not in the way we see and evaluate perfection. It can really help to see things in God’s eyes. God, the only one who is perfect.
„For with you (God) is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.“ Psalm 36:9
me-in-progress 