Thanksgiving

During this Thanksgiving many of us will spend the day with family. Our traditions and our faith will bring an expression of gratitude that includes sharing feasts with those we love, and with friends. Just having a family to share with, and a home, are reasons to give thanks. Through our example, our children learn thankfulness.

This morning I am reminded of the parable of the Prodigal Son. Though he was not grateful for his family, he had a change of heart. What is interesting about this story is that the father had nothing to do with his son’s repentance. The father simply let his son go. This may seem like bad parenting, yet there comes a time in our adult children’s lives when we have to let go.

Though we trust the keeping of our children’s souls to God, lack of the evidence of their faith may make it seem like our errant children will not come back to their faith, nor to their families! The Lord reminded me that a parent’s thankfulness can reach towards the future, by faith, and believe for their prodigals to come back.

We may plant the seeds of His Word in our children’s heart, but it is God that waters them and watches over them to bring a harvest of righteousness in our children. We will one day see that God, as our heavenly Father, never lets go of our children. Today as we give thanks to God and share with our families, let us remember God’s faithfulness and trust our prodigals to Him. He is able to bring a great harvest of righteousness. Amen