Thanksgiving….. I remember a time when Christmas came after Thanksgiving. And then, rather quickly, Thanksgiving became the middle child of the holidays. If you are a middle child, you totally know what I mean. It’s not as fun and crazy as the younger Halloween and not as exciting as the older Christmas holiday filled with presents and merriment. Smooshed in the middle are visions of Norman Rockwell’s classic roasted turkey surrounded by smiling, happy people all getting along… Now, don’t get me wrong, Halloween is fun and Christmas is magical. But Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday of the year.
The other day my kids were watching “That Christmas” on Netflix. It’s still a mystery on how they swingled me into a Christmas movie before Thanksgiving… But the narrator made a statement that really resonated. He said, “I always think that Christmas is a bit like an emotional magnifying glass. If you feel loved and happy, Christmas will make you feel even happier and more loved. But if you feel alone and unloved, the magnifier gets to work and makes all those bad things bigger and worse.” The ghosts of Christmases past and present came calling reminding me the narrator was onto something. The holiday season does exactly that.
Some of our school families come to this holiday with great joy. Some welcomed new little ones into their families. Some excelled it at their workplace this year and were rewarded with career advancements. Some started new relationships and/or are in the honeymoon stage. Children were healthy-ish, bills were paid, vacations were taken. The year brought much joy and happiness. With you, we praise God for this season of abundant blessing He provided. We shout in a spirit of praise and offer a heart of thanksgiving.
Sadly, the opposite was true for some families. 2025 brought a season of great stress, sorrow, and conflict. Some lost their employment, some lost family members, some even lost themselves. And even worse some lost their faith and hope. With you we grieve and hold you tight in our prayers. We kneel beside you with a spirit of longing and petitions.
As we close out November 2025, and the holiday season is in full swing I want to take a minute to pause on the magnifying glass. We want to celebrate with a verse that is as true today as it was in 60 AD when Paul wrote it. Philippians 4:6 gives us the key to life. It states:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.”
The best part is that unlike my fall décor and pumpkins, I do not have to leave this verse for a season of my life. This life will continue to offer reasons to go to God with requests. God will never be tired of us coming to Him for advice, comfort, joy, faith, hope, and love…. and on and on. In every situation we can go to Him and ask in humbleness and with a thankful spirit. We go to the same God who commanded the Earth to form, who healed the lame, blind, ill, and even brought to life the dead. The eternal God who told His people, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). He promises us the same.
As you look through the magnifying glass what do you see? I pray that you see a God who loves you, knows you, and supports you. This world can leave you alone and unloved. But God has so much more for you… His ultimate gift of love, sent as a baby, to open the door to eternal life. As always, if you feel a tug we would love to chat. RightNow media has more in-depth looks at this topic and more. It is a free gift from us to you.
We wish you a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING. We are truly thankful for each of you.
