Chesapeake Bay Mission Center
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Mission Center Leadership
    • Congregations >
      • Chester/Richmond
      • Laurel
      • Portsmouth
      • The Power House
      • Springfield
      • Towson
      • Washington DC
      • General Membership
  • Ministries
    • Congregational Ministry
    • Children and Youth Ministry
    • Sacramental Ministry
    • Latter-day Seeker Ministry
    • Social Justice Ministries
    • Family Camps and Retreats
    • Weekly Devotional
  • Calendar
  • Resources
    • Resources for Congregations
    • Resources for Young People
    • Resources for Latter-day Seekers
    • Training and Education Resources
    • Resources from Partner Organizations
    • Resources from Affiliated Organizations
    • Social Media Resources
  • Directory
  • Contact

Sunday Devotion

11/19/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome to the Sunday Devotion.  We see the effects of fall around us – the crisp air, the leaves changing to beautiful colors, the energetic activity of the squirrels gathering acorns.  With these transitions to our autumn season, I find myself nestling into the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, which in turn, turns my thoughts to a mood of thankfulness.  I admit the pressure of preparation for Thanksgiving day can interrupt the tranquility of peaceful thankfulness, but in silence and solitude I find my way back to that place where I embrace the people, opportunities and events for which I am truly thankful. Take a deep breath, hold, exhale. Close your eyes if you need to so you can shut out the clutter of the world around you.

Where do your thoughts go when you reach out to embrace thankfulness? I asked my students this question the other day. There were no immediate replies. As I prodded for their answers, a couple students hesitantly voiced a reply. Perhaps I should tell you that these students were adult ESL learners. I had shared some background about Thanksgiving in the United States and encouraged them to tell me if they had holidays in their countries where thankfulness was the focus. They couldn’t identify anything similar. What would we miss in our lives, without this emphasis on being thankful?

Even if we did not have our Thanksgiving holiday, we do have faith connections where we are reminded to be thankful to God for our blessings. Yet sometimes we may feel so much weight of the inequities and suffering in our world that we push aside what we are thankful for. I am not advocating that we turn our eyes and our hearts away from the pain and hate we see in the news. But it is okay to focus on that for which we are thankful. Focusing on positive emotions can affect our mental and physical health. And when you merge it with your faith, it turns your mind and heart to God.

What would you say to God as a thank you? Starting your day with thankfulness can help that positive mood seep into your day. I recently placed a dry erase marker in the bathroom. When I brush my teeth at night, I use that marker to write something for which I am grateful on the bathroom mirror. When I get up in the morning that’s what I see that first thing. It’s a small act but it does start my day in thankfulness. It can be a positive earworm.

Scripture tells us to be "thankful in everything, in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). In embracing gratitude, our actions can become positive actions. We must love one another and be a source of encouragement and hope.
​
May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Various authors throughout the Chesapeake Bay Mission Center and beyond provide these thought-provoking weekly devotions. 

    Archives

    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Mission Center Leadership
    • Congregations >
      • Chester/Richmond
      • Laurel
      • Portsmouth
      • The Power House
      • Springfield
      • Towson
      • Washington DC
      • General Membership
  • Ministries
    • Congregational Ministry
    • Children and Youth Ministry
    • Sacramental Ministry
    • Latter-day Seeker Ministry
    • Social Justice Ministries
    • Family Camps and Retreats
    • Weekly Devotional
  • Calendar
  • Resources
    • Resources for Congregations
    • Resources for Young People
    • Resources for Latter-day Seekers
    • Training and Education Resources
    • Resources from Partner Organizations
    • Resources from Affiliated Organizations
    • Social Media Resources
  • Directory
  • Contact