Thanksgiving

I am going to thank God for all sorts of things He hasn’t given me yet.

I am going to thank Him for my great-grandchildren… for my retirement… for our 75th wedding anniversary… for my children supporting me in my old age… and for the 25 pounds I was able to lose.

Now God may or may not give me all those things, but one thing I am fully convinced of is this: I have abundant reasons to be thankful about my future. The God who loves me perfectly will be directing my future. The God who let His Son die in my place to assure my eternal future will be with me. I have His promise:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Here is a different spin on this. Peace is 57 years old. What if in the year 1955, someone had asked our founding mothers and father what people at Peace would be thanking God for 57 years down the road? Do you think they could imagine being thankful for radio ministry?… for several adult baptisms each year?… for
ministries that have strongly influenced two generations?… for websites communicating our mission? … for an Early Learning Center?… for numerous young people choosing a career in the church?… for strength in mission support?… for several avenues to worship our God?… for outgrowing two sanctuaries?… for launching another church?… for a positive presence in Arvada? …for members
going on mission trips around the globe?… and the list goes on.

We cannot even begin to imagine what the future holds for Peace. We don’t know what will happen to the
economy, what the future is for technology, medicine, even our Arvada community… but we do know this: We have abundant reasons to be thankful about our future. The God who loves us perfectly will be
directing our future. The God who let His Son die in our place to assure our eternal future will be with us. And the God who put Peace here 57 years ago and has blessed it abundantly will still be the same great, loving God of blessings. We have his promise:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

This year at Thanksgiving, don’t forget to thank God for your future. This year at Thanksgiving, don’t
forget to thank God for Peace’s future. It is going to be a great one with God in charge!

Polly Wegner
Dir. of Discipleship
pwegner@peacelutheran.net
303-424-4454