Most of us celebrate Thanksgiving, which is always observed on the fourth Thursday of each November. There are multiple traditions we might participate in during this holiday. Your favorite Thanksgiving tradition might be eating turkey, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, or cheering on an NFL team. Even with all those exciting activities, most people set aside some time to count their blessings on Thanksgiving. They may take fifteen minutes or fifteen seconds, but I believe the majority of people think or say something they are thankful for on this holiday.
As Christians, we need to be thankful every day of our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” There is never a time in our lives where we cannot be thankful for something. If we are going to live the Christian life faithfully, we must be thankful. I am going to list some things that I am thankful for in a little bit. I hope you will take time to meditate on some things you are thankful for each day. I want to share with you some things that I am thankful for in connection with the church camp I recently attended.
First, I am thankful for the counselors. Camp would not be possible without the counselors. I am thankful for their willingness to take time to come to camp. All the counselors were volunteers. They came to Camp because they were concerned for our spiritual and physical welfare. In Matthew 25:31-40, Jesus lists some ways people served Him. At Camp, the counselors helped the campers in numerous ways, and by so doing served the Lord. I can honestly say: I was hungry, and they gave me food. I was thirsty, and they gave me a drink. I was sick, and they took care of me. I am exceedingly thankful for the care of the counselors. Jesus said in Matthew 23:11, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Most of all, I am thankful for their willingness and ability to teach God’s Word to us during the week.
Next, I am thankful for the campers. Camp would not be possible without the campers. I am thankful for those young people who decided to come to camp and try to grow closer to God. It was encouraging to me to know I am not alone in attempting to reach heaven. Hebrews 10:24 reads, “Let us consider one another in order to stir up good works.” The encouragement I received at Camp was a huge blessing that continues to bless me the entire year. Whether it was a “good job” or “I understand” or a pat on the back or handshake, these and other expressions of encouragement were of tremendous value to me.
There are more things at Camp that I am thankful for, but these are just a couple of things I wanted to highlight. As Christians, we all need to count our blessings and be thankful every day, and not just in November.