PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING
(Wednesday, November 27)
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.” (Ps 106/107: 1)
Goodness and mercy. This year, it is again what I’d like to give thanks for, as I prepare for the wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving and the upcoming (on the OC) Nativity Fast. God reveals His enduring goodness and mercy to me not only through the ever-changing places, things, situations and states of my mind and heart and body, but also through the words, actions, and attitudes of people near and not-so-near to me. As we walk through our both challenging and grace-filled times, I’m reminded that it is through the ups and downs of time that God is invariably sending us the open invitation to change; to grow in understanding, goodness and mercy toward ourselves and one another.
This year, people have imparted, and continue to impart, God’s goodness and mercy to me, even from a long distance, in the strange reality of our online “communities.” Thank You, God, for the goodness and mercy of Your people, who pop up in my life as friends or foes. Help me, Lord, to be teachable and to learn what I need to learn, to pass on Your goodness and mercy in this challenging time, full of opportunities for that kind of thing. Amen!