THANKSGIVING MEMORIES
Where are you today? Is this your first Thanksgiving alone or are you having another Thanksgiving without your beloved spouse home with your family? I know how you are hurting and are disappointed that your spouse has not come home, yet. This Thanksgiving may you thank the Lord for all He is doing on the other side of your mountain. I pray that you have made plans to be with family members or you are having dinner with a brother or sister in the Lord’s family. If you are invited to go to someone’s house, please go and pray blessings on them. Be a lighthouse for the Lord.
Three years ago our family ate our Thanksgiving dinner at Lori’s with all the trimmings at noon. Then Thanksgiving afternoon my children and I went to a Hospice unit, packed Bob up and the ambulance brought him home for the last time. Earlier that week, Bob had been transported to the Hospice unit. The doctor and nurses did not expect he would ever leave alive. But God!! In spite of knowing Bob’s terminal condition, we were all praising and thanking the Lord that Bob had a little longer with his family and he was home where he wanted to be. We were all so happy and we now have many more wonderful memories.
“Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.†You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lordmy God, I will praise you forever. Psalm 30:10-12
In the darkest of hours, I can tell you from personal experience to thank the Lord that He knows what is best for each of us and He tells us to praise Him in spite of our circumstances. Rejoice. God is faithful. Will you choose to rejoice the Lord this week?
Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
The Lord wants you to put His Word into practice. Then you will reap the promise that is in the scripture above. The God of peace will be with you. Can you even begin to imagine that peace? If you do not feel God’s peace, which is unexplainable, then choose to be obedient to this whole passage and the God of peace will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
My prayer for you this Thanksgiving is that the Peace of God will bless you and you can celebrate Thanksgiving with some loved ones. If you have your children this Thanksgiving, I pray you will make new traditions or keep the same traditions so that they will have good memories of this Thanksgiving in the future. Please ask the Lord if you should invite someone else (same sex) to join you for your special day. The Lord will be pleased that you thought of someone else who needs to be loved on Thanksgiving Day.
I want to encourage you to see, through eyes of faith, what Thanksgiving could be like for you and the one you love in the years ahead. It could be a day of joy, or it could be a day of bitterness and regrets.
If you are facing this Thanksgiving alone and hurting, my heart breaks for you. I have faced holidays from that same position. Be encouraged today that God is at work on the other side of your mountain; in the heart of your prodigal spouse. All you need to do is pray and to stand strong. God is at work. Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when prodigals are bombarded by God’s truth and memories.
Instead of being discouraged and depressed about your situation, instead of taking things into your own hands, may you stay in the Word, and make Thanksgiving a day (and a weekend) of prayer for all prodigals. You will be on my heart, and will be prayed for more than once tomorrow.
Never stop praying that your spouse will have their own personal encounter with the Lord this very night or on Thanksgiving Day. Remember Saul’s plans were to go after the Christians, but instead he had his own Damascus Road experience with the Lord. Praise His Holy Name. God’s timing is always perfect. Just keep praying, believing, and waiting!
“To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.†Acts 26:18
Have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Where are you today? Is this your first Thanksgiving alone or are you having another Thanksgiving without your beloved spouse home with your family? I know how you are hurting and are disappointed that your spouse has not come home, yet. This Thanksgiving may you thank the Lord for all He is doing on the other side of your mountain. I pray that you have made plans to be with family members or you are having dinner with a brother or sister in the Lord’s family. If you are invited to go to someone’s house, please go and pray blessings on them. Be a lighthouse for the Lord.
Three years ago our family ate our Thanksgiving dinner at Lori’s with all the trimmings at noon. Then Thanksgiving afternoon my children and I went to a Hospice unit, packed Bob up and the ambulance brought him home for the last time. Earlier that week, Bob had been transported to the Hospice unit. The doctor and nurses did not expect he would ever leave alive. But God!! In spite of knowing Bob’s terminal condition, we were all praising and thanking the Lord that Bob had a little longer with his family and he was home where he wanted to be. We were all so happy and we now have many more wonderful memories.
“Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.†You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lordmy God, I will praise you forever. Psalm 30:10-12
In the darkest of hours, I can tell you from personal experience to thank the Lord that He knows what is best for each of us and He tells us to praise Him in spite of our circumstances. Rejoice. God is faithful. Will you choose to rejoice the Lord this week?
Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
The Lord wants you to put His Word into practice. Then you will reap the promise that is in the scripture above. The God of peace will be with you. Can you even begin to imagine that peace? If you do not feel God’s peace, which is unexplainable, then choose to be obedient to this whole passage and the God of peace will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
My prayer for you this Thanksgiving is that the Peace of God will bless you and you can celebrate Thanksgiving with some loved ones. If you have your children this Thanksgiving, I pray you will make new traditions or keep the same traditions so that they will have good memories of this Thanksgiving in the future. Please ask the Lord if you should invite someone else (same sex) to join you for your special day. The Lord will be pleased that you thought of someone else who needs to be loved on Thanksgiving Day.
I want to encourage you to see, through eyes of faith, what Thanksgiving could be like for you and the one you love in the years ahead. It could be a day of joy, or it could be a day of bitterness and regrets.
If you are facing this Thanksgiving alone and hurting, my heart breaks for you. I have faced holidays from that same position. Be encouraged today that God is at work on the other side of your mountain; in the heart of your prodigal spouse. All you need to do is pray and to stand strong. God is at work. Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when prodigals are bombarded by God’s truth and memories.
Instead of being discouraged and depressed about your situation, instead of taking things into your own hands, may you stay in the Word, and make Thanksgiving a day (and a weekend) of prayer for all prodigals. You will be on my heart, and will be prayed for more than once tomorrow.
Never stop praying that your spouse will have their own personal encounter with the Lord this very night or on Thanksgiving Day. Remember Saul’s plans were to go after the Christians, but instead he had his own Damascus Road experience with the Lord. Praise His Holy Name. God’s timing is always perfect. Just keep praying, believing, and waiting!
“To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.†Acts 26:18
Have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
