Rich

Here we are again...one more week until Thanksgiving. The most wonderful time of the year for sure. I try to honor each holiday with intention, but since reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts at least three times in the last five years or so - every day is Thanksgiving. Minus the turkey and pies.

So how does one make it special when already in the habit of deliberate daily giving thanks? I have journals full of lists of praise for provisions and experiences gifted by God. What else?

Prayer, Bible study, and a good book should give me what I'm looking for.

Philippians 4:19 "My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of God."

Perhaps Philippians' "riches of God" coupled with Ephesians 1:3-10, God has "blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ..."

What are the spiritual riches, eternal and unseen that are more valuable than the richest objects or experiences on earth? A new list!

To start:

He chose me
to be holy and blameless in His sight
In love, He adopted me into His family
He has freely given me abundant grace
In Him I have redemption through His blood (the only way to become right with God),
forgiveness of sin
in accordance with the riches of God's grace
that He lavished on us
Love
Joy
Peace
Christ's righteousness now mine
Hope for heaven
Intimacy with God
Good works prepared to fulfill my purpose

I'm rich! Rich in all the above (which is just scratching the surface).

Let's have some fun with this. What else am I rich in?

Currently-

snowflakes
trees - covered in snow
mountains
icicles
I'm rich in nature!

Friends who
love me and my family
ask hard questions
encourage and tell truth
sharpen me
who give up a Saturday morning
to shower my engaged daughter with gifts and marital advice
and come early
and bring food
and set up
and stay late
and clean up
I'm rich in friends!

praying parents
faithful, loving husband
grown kids who share with Scott and me:
love for Jesus
participation in family traditions
laughter
familiar jokes
a long history of memories and same experiences
daughters-in-law who love Jesus and my sons with gusto
I'm rich in family!

pastors who preach the Word
and pray for us
a Sunday School class to teach
younger women to mentor
Biblical worship to express this thanks
I'm rich in church!

I'm rich in bibles and books and sweaters and mugs (seasonal, of course) and shoes and table linens and artificial trees covered in white lights and food and Christmas music, movies & books....

I think I'm on to something. This is like giving thanks on steroids!

Not convinced? Psalm 84:11 says, "No good thing will He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." This cannot be true. Are you thinking this? Are you mentally listing out all the things the Lord has failed to provide for you? I am too. But guess what - I've learned this: If I pray for it, and God doesn't provide it, it means it wasn't a good thing or it wasn't a good thing for me right now. But even deeper than this simple platitude is the idea of 'withholding'. I read in John 3:34 that "God gives the Spirit without limit." Without limit! In other words, God does not withhold Himself from us. We can have all of Him that we want in an unlimited way."*

I've always wanted the most gifts. Excuse me while I go get a new journal.
But not just a list. If I'm rich, then the right thing to do is give it away - share the abundance of riches with others.  Advent is right around the corner. Stay tuned on how this plays out.

Wanna Join me?

And Happy Thanksgiving!

*My favorite book from 2018 - Seated With Christ by Heather Holleman