It's Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving, Lord, but I'm not feeling very thankful!
You know the hurts, the loneliness,
The resentments and anger that I do not want to admit.
And You know the concerns on my heart
For those who stir up these feelings in me.

Oh God, I beg You,
Give me again Your eyes of compassion
To look at these troubled souls as You do.
To see their needs and their tortured spirits
Which cause such anti-social behaviour.
Make me see that I do not have to be hurt
By the words and actions of others,
And that it is possible to CHOOSE whether to be upset or not!

Lord, I humbly ask You to minister to me this Thanksgiving Morning.

Let me not be so consumed with desire
For change IN THEM that I fail to see
The need for CHANGE IN ME!
Forgive me, Lord.

Now that I have wept and cried out to You,
Releasing this torrent of emotion
That has been bottled up inside me,
I can open my heart to make room for Your Peace,
Your Love, Your Joy, which had been crowded out.

Lord, there are so many other hurting souls this morning -
And some of them do not know You as their Burden Bearer!
What would I do without You, Lord?
You Listen, You understand, You Love, You forgive, You Uphold,
You strengthen and You Bless me!
Thank You, Lord, Thank You!

Thank You too, for an understanding Pastor
Who ministers with such compassion.
Thank You for Christian friends who support me,
For Family and loved ones who care about me.
Thank You for Your Word which is such a comfort.
Thank You for Jesus and His great Salvation,
Thank You for Your Sweet Holy Spirit Who is always with me.

Thank You for a place to live,
For food to eat, clothes to wear,
And enough for my needs, if not all my wants.

How grateful I am for all these things!
Did I say I was not feeling Thankful?
"BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL".

Honoria A. Groves