We are in full swing! The next few weeks is going to be flood of holiday cheer and frenzied shopping as we count down to the 25th. This Sunday I was asked to preach! Wow, I was super-encourgaged by this and immediately began wondering what would I share. After a week or so of going back and forth,

I asked our evangelist what he thought and what our members needed. I was encouraged to consider the topic of gratitude as a focus.

The more I thought about it, it does seem gratefulness takes a back seat to either to happiness or mild despair for most of us. . Gratitude looks at what it has and is moved to greater and greater appreciation. Gratitude expresses itself by thanking the source and appreciating that source of all His blessings. Happiness alone celebrates the gift but, at times, will neglect the giver. Happiness alone gets hyped  in the middle of great circumstances but crashes when its faced with disappointment.

Gratitude leads to happiness without fail but happiness will come and go depending on our circumstances.

The holiday season will make many very happy, but then must always settle back into “normal”. The hype of opening new gifts must always give way to the monotony of cleaning up afterwards (and following recycling rules if you live in NYC). Also, for many of us,  the season is a reminder of  lost loved ones and unfulfilled dreams. Gratitude on the other hand, allows us to pause and stand in awe of the undeserved privileges we have right now,have  had in the past and will have in the future. Gratitude allows us to remember our loved ones and appreciate their influence in our lives while we look forward to spending time with loved ones here.

I found this quote by author Melody Beatty (Codependent No More) captures it powerfully;

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance,

chaos to order,

confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.”

Wherever you are in the spectrum of moods around this season. I want to encourage you to focus on the undeserved privileges that are all around us. This is probably the surest path to emotional well-being!

I am truly grateful for Pamela Lee and for being a dad to Tennelle Simpson and to Tony Lee for the past  25 years! God is amazing!

Spend some time in Romans 5 and let this word settle into the holiday season!

Antoine