Thankful

n everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 

I suppose I am getting old. Anytime anyone waxes nostalgic about their childhood days it seems like they must be getting old. But please permit me to pull an illustration from my childhood days. Before we moved onto the farm, every summer my family would camp in the Mendocino area. For breakfast, we had a luxury. We were permitted those little boxes of cereal. It was a great convenience to Mom because we could split the boxes open along the perforated side, pull back the wax paper lining, and pour in the cold milk. The only time my parents would buy these little boxes of bliss was when we were camping. And while I would have loved the frosted flakes or leprechaun-promoted marshmallow cereal or the corn syrup-infused cereal with the bear on the box that my older siblings selected before I got my choice, I still appreciated the plain cornflakes. My parents had done something special for me. I suppose for a little heathen child this was one of my first tastes of what it meant to be grateful. 

The people of this world have reasons to be thankful… thankful to parents, thankful to spouses, thankful to neighbors, thankful to employers, thankful to the government. At this time of the year, they, too, can celebrate. They can send cards thanking others for their love. They can gather around a meal and be thankful to the host family. They can be thankful when a football game goes their way. They can be thankful for a friend letting them set up a deer stand on their property. 

How much more do we have reasons to give thanks. Our Father in heaven provides for us. We are not without our daily bread. He provides the means through which we are fed: our vocations, our families, our friends. Beyond that we know protection under His mighty arm. His holy angels encamp around us. He gives us His word so that we can extinguish the lies of the evil one. He is our refuge, our strong tower. 

While the world can only be thankful for earthly blessings, we can be thankful for eternal blessings as well. We look forward to the celebration of the birth of God’s Son because His nativity changed all our lives. Jesus stepped into our humanity to fulfill the deepest and purest of God’s promises. He lived the life of perfection we could not. He died the necessary death on a cross so we would not experience eternal death. He rose from the grave to assure us that He had won eternal life for us. He ascended to prepare a heavenly banquet and eternal home for us. These are truly reasons to be grateful. 

May God bless your celebrations this week. May your days be filled with time for reflection upon the depth, breadth, and height of Jesus’ love for you. May your gratitude infinitely surpass the thankfulness of a little boy over a little box of cereal. Blessings, 

Frank Van Brocklin 

Principal Teacher 

Coming up at Immanuel Lutheran School

❖ There will be no school on November 22, 23, and 24 as we celebrate with our families our gratitude to the God of free and faithful grace. 

❖ On November 29, we begin our first whole-school practices for the Children’s Christmas Service. 

❖ December 1 marks the second quarter midterm for the school year.