THANKSGIVING! His Loving Kindness is Everlasting!

Shortly after we moved into our first home we brought our first baby into it and became a family. Nanelle's Miss Frosty was a sweet little Beagle who grew to be 12 inches tall. Not the smallest of Beagles but obviously not one of the biggests either. We loved her and she loved us!

A lot of dogs can sit but our Frosty could sit for a long, long time. When she wanted something she would come and sit at our feet and wave her front paws in the air until we gave her whatever she wanted. She loved Christmas ribbon candy and as soon as I put the dish out she was there sitting in front of it. One day she began begging for another reason and it took us a while to know what it was she wanted. She was desperate!

She started begging at me off and on throughout one afternoon. When Jim arrived home I told him about her strange behavior. He sat down and she ran over to him and sat up and began waving her paws. She began to whimper! Jim checked her all over and couldn't find anything.

She continued sitting up on her hind quarters and begging vigorously. Jim realized in her moaning, she had her mouth opened. He began to try looking in her mouth and felt around with his fingers. In between her molars on the lower right side of her mouth he felt a foreign object.
She had a small piece of bone wedged in between her molars. Jim began to wiggle it until he finally was able to remove it. Frosty was so excited that she was all over him. She was so filled with gratitude that she was unable to restrain herself.

In reflecting on this incident, Frosty came to me for help but in her little heart she knew I couldn't help her. When her father (as I like to call him) came home, she knew he would take care of her. She trusted me but she had faith in what Jim could do. I think sometimes that is how we are with the church. We have the church, which is here to love and nurture God's people. We come to the church for help and put our trust in the church. But the church is for encouragement and the uplifting of the saints. The church does what it can in fulfilling our physical and spiritual needs but it is God the Father where our real help lie's!

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 "I will lift my eyes to the mountains, from when shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 The Thanksgiving season is always a time for reflection; it is a time for counting our blessings and praising God. I submit to you that we should be doing this daily. "How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you." Psalm 128:1-2

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His loving kindness is everlasting; Give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting; Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him, who alone does great wonders, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who made the great lights, for His loving kindness is everlasting; The sun to rule by day, for His loving kindness is everlasting; The moon and stars to rule by night, for His loving kindness is everlasting." Psalm 136:1-9

We should be vigorous with our thanksgiving and praise. We should be excited; jubilant and filled with gratitude as we come before our Lord. "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." Psalm 95:2 By Jane Ann Crenshaw 11/17/09