Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. –Psalm 106:1
Dear members and friends,
One thing I know for sure about life is that I do not know what I will face around the next corner. Though my desire is to always be prepared and able to predict what’s coming, the reality has been that life manages to surprise me most of the time. In summary, I have a good deal of experience with the rollercoaster of emotions between disappointment and relief. At times, the drop between the positive and negative is so great that I feel like I have lost it all. But what my Lord has taught me from the gentle and inspiring messages in Gospels is that life is not and never will be under my control. Thus, my role is to accept what comes with appreciation and gratitude. I must find a way to live through the challenges of life rather than trying to control and shape life in a way that I desire.
At times, we may feel and believe that there is nothing to be thankful for, especially to God. However, praising the Lord and giving thanks to the Lord is not for the Lord, but for us. Whatever words we manage to express, the Lord cannot be glorified more or pleased more. Remember? The Lord is enduring, unchanging, eternal love itself. Giving praise and thanks to the Lord is for us because it requires a certain mindset to be able to do so properly and genuinely. At the core of this particular mentality is a humility to accept life as it comes; a willingness to make the best and most out of it as much as we are able. When we accept this truth, our mind can become calm with a certain sense of serenity and peace. And, we all know the difference between the decisions we make when we are upset or depressed versus the decisions made when we are calm and peaceful.
Give praise to the Lord for being the source of life and love, and give thanks to the Lord for the life we have as it is. And, may peace and calmness from the Lord be present in your mind, and magnify your delights and joys this Thanksgiving week. Happy Thanksgiving.
Blessings, Rev. Junchol Lee