Jimbo's Jots

Happy Thanksgiving everyone from our family to yours!! Much of November is spent offering Thanksgiving. Many on social media will take each day of the month to share something for which they are thankful.

Others, though, find Thanksgiving and the upcoming holidays hard and struggle through them. For some, it’s no family or nobody local. For some, it’s the anxiety and stress of travel, bustling to and fro, making purchases, fighting crowds or as we shared recently, the changing seasons of less sunlight and drear of the long dark days.

Paul says, while in prison I might add:

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:5-6)

Two things:

1. God is near! Whether you are in a period of celebration and gratefulness or a period of despair and hopelessness, God is right by you. He is sharing in your joys and sorrows! Whether you are singing songs of praise or songs of lament, God is right there. He has promised His presence in all circumstances of life.
2. Be Thankful! When people struggle with anxiety and stress, it’s so difficult to focus on the blessings. We worry about the bills, our health, the kids, the weather . . . and the list goes on. We feel like everything is caving in! Paul says, again in prison, don’t be anxious about this life but be thankful for God is working in your life! When our focus is on being thankful for God’s work in our lives, then we become less anxious

So here is what you do:

1. Acknowledge God is near. Nothing you can do to take away your anxiety without understanding this.
2. Count (write down) your blessings and be thankful! You become more attune to what is good rather than what you chase in your mind.

Be blessed and be blessing! Happy Thanksgiving!