Blessed Thanksgiving Transcript

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday every year. But today I will give you 5 ways you can truly raise the bar higher than ever!

You can make this Thanksgiving the most blessed ever!

INTRO

This is Thanksgiving. A time for families to reunite, celebrate kinship, to thank God for the abundant blessings we have. And to enjoy a festive meal together.

But this year, how about making it better than ever?

This year reach OUTSIDE YOUR family to someone that may not have a family to celebrate with this year.

Maybe the health of a spouse is gone, or maybe the spouse themselves is gone. Maybe the child is serving in the armed services and can’t be home this year. Maybe there was a divorce.

Or maybe this year the family experienced the death of a dear relative.

No matter the cause, there are many families this week that are struggling emotionally, financially, socially, and religiously. However defined, their family unit is no longer the same unit. And change is never easy.

Here are some suggestions that will make your Thanksgiving even better.

First, don’t suppose you know how they feel. You don’t. Unless your experiences were EXACTLY like theirs, in every way, you don’t know how they may feel. But you do know they feel different, a bit lost. Whatever they feel is new to them. So be patient, caring, considerate.

Second, include these suffering friends in your Thanksgiving celebration. Do not ASK them to come. TELL them to come. Maybe suggest what they need to bring. If you ask, they could say no. That leaves them in a less-than-good situation. So, if you DO ask, don’t accept “NO.” easily. Let your caring nature override the conversation.

Third, Pray with them. Pray about the good things they still have, and pray about the void in their lives. That was what King David did in Psalms 31. And pray with them that they will seek God’s help on the hard days. David said in Psalms 61:1-2 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;  (2)  from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,”

Fourth, let them know you can be reached anytime, Day and night, 24-7. Not just during the holiday season, but every day. They don’t know when difficult things are going to pop up. So be ready to listen. Be ready to get over to their house in the night. Let them know you don’t understand, but you can listen.

Fifth, and maybe most important, be careful what you say. You may be well-intentioned, but what you say may be “a stretch” of reality or may be simply hurtful.

Don’t say “I know how you feel” or “I know what you are going through.” Again, unless yours is exactly like theirs, you don’t know.

Don’t say “Time heals all wounds.” Wrong. Time alone does not heal anything. But serious thinking and determined actions might.

Here is one I am guilty of using. Don’t say “God will never give you what you can’t handle.” Friends that is a misunderstanding of 1 Cor 10:13, which says, “… God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  Listen, God wants only good for you. So, HE is not the cause behind someone’s loss.

Now those 5 things are:

Don’t suppose how they feel.

Don’t allow them to say “No” to being with you.

Pray with them

Be ALWAYS available

Be careful what you say.

When you employ these few simple things, YOUR holiday, AND THEIRS will be so much better.

Do you have a Bible question? How about sending it to us, and we might make a video on the subject. But you will get an answer. Use the phone number you see here, or use the contact page.

Thank you for watching. And may you, and the friend you are helping, have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.

Until we can visit again, well, Goodbye for now.