Most of us had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We can all be grateful to God for His many blessings.

My wife had an interesting Bible class this week with the 11^th-12^th graders in our academy.  Jodie asked the girls to write down all the things they are thankful for  – in five minutes.  Her girls wrote as fast as they could.  They took a few moments to share two of the items from their list.  Jodie commented positively to the many things that they shared.  Then she asked them if they had written any hardships or trials on their list.  No one had written anything negative down.  No trials were a part of their “thanksgiving list.”  (Well, one students said that she did put her brother down – though she dearly loves him, he can sometimes quality as a trial).

Jodie then asked her class to turn the paper over and write down any trial or hardship they are currently going through.  After a few moments they had many things written down.  She then asked them, “Now look at your list.  Can you thank God for the things on this list?”  The class was very quiet.  She said, “This is what separates us from the rest of the world.  When we are thankful for our trials the world will see that we are different – that we have something different.  That difference is Christ!”

Philippians 2:15, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

What would you write down if you were asked to list what you are thankful for?  What would be on your “Thanks-Living List”?  Would any of your trials be on your list?

As we turn our focus from Thanksgiving to Christmas may our gratitude only grow as we remember that God gave His Son to die for us and take our hell to give us heaven!