Give Thanks

7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. (Deut. 8:7-10)

The good life! We all long for a place of ease - where our needs and wants are met, and we are completely satisfied. It's tempting to think that the good life is unattainable, but maybe it's just a state of mind. We can decide to be content with what we have and who we are right now. We spend so much of life in pursuit of the next thing on our bucket list that we often miss the gift of the present.

You are in a place of blessing. Right now. This imperfect place of past failures and untapped dreams. This imperfect place of unrealized hopes and unexpected challenges. This is a place of promise and opportunity.

We are blessed to pray one another through difficult days, blessed to be lifted up by others during our own dark nights, blessed to fill the empty places in our hearts with new friends. As we open our eyes to the opportunities to care for others we will see ourselves cared for. We are blessed to be a blessing. This is the good life.

Give thanks.

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Cor. 9:10-11)