By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Disclaimer first – Some of you are reading this on Thanksgiving week.  Some will be reading it later.  Regardless, we are to be thankful all year.

The road you see pictured here is just an old country road.  Because we know what lies beyond those hills and curves, we know that a road was in existence here at least as far back as the very early 1800’s – more than 200 years ago.  This particular road winds its way through the deep woods of the county in which we live.  It climbs hills, overlooks extremely deep ravines, crosses creek beds, and provides a means of access to some prime hunting lands.

This road also happens to be the very road upon which my wife’s family have lived for at least four generations now.  I know by looking at this picture exactly where this spot is located on that road, because I’m familiar with the road.

As God’s people, we are called to travel life’s winding road from the moment we first follow the Lord until that last moment when He finally takes us Home.  And along that road, we will encounter many precious memories, people, and places.  Because we live it, we will remember specific spots along that road that will forever remain special in our hearts.

Thanksgiving and Christmas bring with them a renewed opportunity to be verbally thankful for anything and everything along life’s journey.  God has been so very good to us along the way.  And, He will continue to be just as good for the rest of our travels.  We will always have many things for which to be thankful.

In this week’s sermon, I, as many other pastors did, I’m sure, reminded us not just to be thankful, but to tell the Lord just how thankful we are.  Give Him the praise, honor, and glory that He so richly deserves, not just at this time of year, but all year through — all along our road.

And, as I reminded us, in the story of the 10 lepers that Jesus healed one day, only one of those men came back to say, “Thank you.”  In your holiday celebrations, in your excitement and chaos, in your family gatherings or just quiet little times along the road, if there is to be only 1 in your crowd to voice thanks to the Lord this year, then be that one!

I’m thankful for you.

Just a thought.