Bob Jones Sr. said, “When gratitude dies on the altar of a man’s heart, that man is well-nigh hopeless.“ One characteristic I never want to allow to grow cold is gratitude. As I was thinking about what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving, I thought of three things. I am thankful to be:
- A Husband – I remember the day that I was engaged to my wife-to-be. It seemed like a dream. I mean, is God really blessing me with such a wonderful woman? I remember the day that she became my wife and knowing then and everyday since that God had been so good to me. I thank God for my wife.
- A Father – I love my two children so much. They are a blessing to me. I have learned so much about my relationship with my Heavenly Father through my relationship with my children. The prayer of my heart for them is that they be saved at an early age, love God with all their heart, marry the spouse that God has intended for them and serve Him all their lives. I am thankful for the privilege of being called daddy.
- A Pastor – Along with being a husband and a father, being a pastor is my life’s calling. God has taught me so much in my short time in the ministry and I stand in awe of His graciousness to call me to serve Him with all my life. I concur with the Apostle Paul, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;” (1 Timothy 1:12)
I feel incredibly privileged to be called these things and I am thankful to God. Consider this Thanksgiving taking a moment to sit down and write down what you are thankful for and share it with someone. Let’s keep gratitude ablaze in our hearts.
Josiah Kagin 