For Wilshire Baptist Church
Sometimes it feels a bit rote and habitual to come to this time of year and stop to “give thanks” for whatever comes to mind that we’ve enjoyed, benefitted from or been blessed by in the weeks and months since the last time we celebrated Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong: It’s a good exercise and one we should not take lightly. But what if we looked ahead and gave thanks in advance for what hasn’t happened yet? Is that even possible? And if so, what would our list look like?
I posed the question, so I suppose I better step up and give it a try. OK, I’ll start with thanking God for future health, happiness, prosperity, love, friendship and fellowship. Those are all things I’ve been blessed with in the past, and I have expectations of them continuing in the future. So yes, I’m thankful in advance for that.
That doesn’t mean bad or unpleasant things won’t happen in the future. If I’d written this 20 years ago, there’d be plenty of opportunities for me to ask or people to ask me, “Are you sure you’re thankful?” after a number of difficult, life-changing events. And those types of “big-ticket” events could happen in the future as well. In fact, I can count on it, because the older we get, the more that happens that we’d prefer not to deal with.
Still, there has been in the past and will be in the future a foundation of God’s grace and mercy in all that happens, whether it’s good or bad. I can’t pray bad things away; for whatever reason, bad things still happen. But I can count on God helping me get through whatever I face. That help comes in a million different ways, from drawing on my own strength and courage to persevere, to having good people to lean on when my strength and courage are depleted.
I’m definitely thankful for that – past, present and future.