Changing Thanks

Rev. Rick Shott, Nokomis Baptist Church

October 7, 2024

Key points from this story:

• Thankful for social media connection
• Grateful for family and daughter
• Daughter's university brings challenges
• Change is necessary for growth
• Finding good in life's changes
• Gratitude helps gain perspective

So, I sent her a message on social media and she actually did see it outside too. I am thankful for many things. The social media that allowed me to share an experience with my daughter however limited. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful that my daughter is at university, even if some of the changes are difficult.

Change is important. Things that do not change are a problem, they are not alive. Sometimes the change alters life significantly. Whether we change in ways we want to or in ways we would avoid, if possible, our lives are not the same. In each way there is something good which we can find. As children grow up, they become adults, there are different things to be thankful for. The small pains are nothing compared to the joy that comes. This is the important to be thankful. We need to be thankful because it helps us find perspective in the world. The good is set against the bad; not as a balance, but as a foil. In this we see the hand of God at work in the world. Let us continue to find the reasons we have for thankfulness every day and so praise God.