“The most significant gifts are the ones most easily overlooked.” – Sue Monk Kidd

“What the world has overlooked, your Father has remembered.” – Max Lucado

Thanksgiving is a time to recall and reflect on all the blessings God has provided in the past year.  Generally, the first things that come to mind are health, family, friends, and provision.  We tend to center our attention on blessings that are quantifiable and fit the definition of abundance – those that extend far beyond meeting simple, basic needs or necessities.

It’s easy to focus on blessings that are tangible, material, and visually present in our lives, but have you ever spent time contemplating blessings that are often overlooked or undervalued?  Have you given any thought to those blessings often ignored or unconsciously forgotten?

This Thanksgiving, as you personally draft your list of those things you are thankful for, I want you to spend some time thinking about the following blessings that are often given little thought or consideration in our lives:

An Eternal Spirit     

“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:14  NASB)

Each of us has been created in the image of God – eternal spirits that exist far beyond the limitations of our bodies and this world.  Think about what it means to live forever.  Think about the blessing of eternal life.  Can there be a gift any greater or more abundant than this?

No matter what we face here, we can be confident of an infinite life – one that has victory over any disease, hardship or injustice we currently encounter.

When you spend time thinking about your eternal spirit, it changes your viewpoint, your attitude, and your conclusions about your physical life.  How can any one hardship be too overwhelming?  How can any difficulty ever become too much to bear?

You begin to see inevitable justice in all the injustice you face.  You begin to understand that all failure and disappointment are only temporary – never final.  You begin to enjoy your blessings in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Think about what it will mean to be reunited with family, friends, and loved ones again – spending far more time with them than you ever spent separated from them!

Let’s join the psalmist, thanking God for how fearfully and wonderfully we are made!  Thank Him for a life that never ends 🙂

A Divine Purpose

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace, and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” (Jeremiah 29:11 Amplified Bible)

Think about what it would mean if your life here was merely driven by fate or circumstance.  What if life was nothing but luck or chance – a willy-nilly existence with no meaning or purpose behind it?

God didn’t create us to simply exist.  He has a deeper, more meaningful purpose for us here.  Our lives are connected to something larger and more significant than we realize.  Think about living a life just going through the motions versus one that has definitive meaning and value.

A life filled with purpose is a blessing beyond description!  It means a life worth living and experiencing – one where every blessing or hardship has been crafted by the Creator with specific meaning – not only for us but for others as well.

Purpose changes our view of relationships, our profession, and every activity and event we experience.   What a blessing it is to know we are God’s masterpiece – created with purpose and intent – fulfilling His good and perfect plans for us here and beyond!

A Lasting Peace      

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27 NLT)

Each and every one of us has been given the gift of peace.  I can think of a greater blessing or one that enhances and adds so much value to our life!  How many of us will even think about thanking God for the peace He provides our hearts and minds this Thanksgiving?  It’s certainly a blessing we often overlook or disregard.

You might be thinking…. “I don’t feel very peaceful this Thanksgiving.”

If this sounds like you, think about how you define peace.  Do you see peace in the light of good circumstances, sound relationships, and financial security?  Do you define peace like the world defines peace?

Christ gives us lasting peace in our minds and our hearts – knowing that no matter what we face, He is in control of all our circumstances, relationships, and security.  Lasting peace is rooted in our faith and trust in a loving, merciful, gracious God – not in the things this world defines as peaceful, plentiful, and abundant.  If we know God is in control, we can be content in all things and have a lasting peace in everything we face.

So this Thanksgiving, take time to thank God for a life that never ends 🙂  Don’t forget to thank Him for a life with divine purpose – giving deeper meaning to every blessing and hardship you experience.  Most of all, remember to thank Him for a life filled with peace of mind and heart – knowing He is at the center of all that unfolds.

Happy Thanksgiving!