Hi everyone! Since I’m still editing Chapter 18 of Captivated, I decided to repost a Thanksgiving devotion I published on this blog in November 2015. Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving!

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”
–Psalm 90:12 (NLT)
When it comes to the Christmas season, I freely confess I am one of “those people”. As soon as November begins, I’m breaking out the Christmas wreaths and introducing Christmas jewelry into my wardrobe. And of course, I’m already listening to Christmas music, since a local radio station just started playing it last week.
The other day, I heard the song “Frosty the Snowman”. It made me think of a magazine article I read many years ago. The writer said one way to concentrate on the meaning of this season is to use Christmas songs as reminders of the season. Christian carols like “Silent Night” and “What Child is This” are great expressions of Jesus’ birthday story, but we can’t forget about the fun of Christmas. This is where the song “Frosty the Snowman” comes in. Frosty reminds us that the Christmas season, and winter in general, are only here for a little while. As the song says, we need to “run and have some fun” before this season melts away.
Frosty’s message made me think about the true meaning of Thanksgiving. This holiday is all about showing thanks for all the blessings we share. For you these may include family, friends, food, a good home, and countless other blessings given to you by our loving God. Basically, we’re meant to count all our blessings and enjoy them while we can. Because, like the winter season, the blessings we enjoy in this world won’t last forever. It’s important that we appreciate them while they are ours to enjoy.
Of course, the mortal people and tangible things we hold dear in this world are only the beginning of this Thanksgiving message. We all know that our lives on Earth are short, and God wants to make use of this time as much as possible. If you choose to follow Him, God will use the lessons you learn and the experiences you have each day to teach you different things, and mold you into His own perfect image. Sometimes you’ll live through wonderful days full of fun and joy, which will show you the importance of living life to the fullest. At other times, God will need to teach you painful or difficult lessons. Nobody enjoys getting caught in traffic, losing a job or loved one, or failing a big test yet again. But if you pray to God and ask Him to guide you through these trials, He will show you the lesson of wisdom behind each experience.
I pray that you will enjoy all the experiences of life, whether they are good or bad, and give thanks to God for His daily life lessons. On Thanksgiving and every day, remember to thank God for your life, and everything and everyone in it. Finally, give thanks to God for His unending love for you and for everyone who calls Him their own. If you don’t know God yet, I really hope you will study God’s word and humbly ask Him to enter your heart and your life. If you do this you will grow closer to Him each day, and you will always know His love and His mercy, which is reborn for you every morning. That’s really something to be thankful for!

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