Gone in a Flash

Taking Time to Remember, Reflect and Praise
October 23, 2019

The year 2019 has whizzed by in a flash. That’s a fact! Before it’s gone, stop and take some time to remember, reflect and then praise with all your heart.

While growing up, Thanksgiving was the king of the holidays at our place in many ways. I remember very special things we would do. Preparing for Thanksgiving dinner was a large part of the day. My mother and grandmother would start early in the morning and, graciously and joyously, work to prepare our meal. It was common to see green beans, mashed potatoes from our garden and homemade dressing made from homemade bread (which was rare) from my grandmother, and it would be topped off with homemade cherry pie and chocolate pie with whipped cream. Simple, but to us it was a feast, a labor of love.

When we would sit down at the table, my grandmother would remind us that we were the richest people in the world. She would share that we had good food, a roof over our heads and we loved each other and we loved the Lord. That made us rich. What more did one need? Dad would pray and ask the Lord to abundantly bless us and our food. It was a simple prayer offered in faith, but it was powerful. Then we would enjoy our time devouring that meal, all the while reflecting on God’s goodness to us throughout that year.

I remember we would leave the table rejoicing, heading to the living room to watch the Cowboys play football. We would praise the Lord. Our spirits were lifted. Our joy was almost immeasurable. On that day there was very little thought of trials or hard work, or the bitter grind of living, because we were secure in the palm of the Master. I learned to treasure those special times and use them to build up special memories, to live in the present and to forge ahead into the future.

Don’t forget to remember the words of Psalm 100 this season: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good.” Psalm 100:4,5 (NLT)

May you rejoice in His blessings as you remember, reflect and then praise Him with all of your heart.

By Richard C. Dye, Sr. President