Though we set aside a special day each year to be grateful, it’s never not the right time for gratitude. I’m thankful for so much, but especially thankful for you who read these words of mine every week. Why share them if nobody wants to read them! There’s no fun in that. I may or may not know you personally, but I always pray what I write will touch your heart in some way. Thank you for continuing to read Briefly Speaking. I wouldn’t write it if it wasn’t for you. My thanks to you and may you have a most happy, joyous Thanksgiving!

Lord, we are your beloved children. You reside in us and we reside in you. Our sins are forgiven and forgotten. Our eternity with you is guaranteed. You don’t need our works or our help in any way. Nothing we can do will make you love us any more than you already do. Help us to relax and just be who we are in you.

Do you ever find yourself a bit concerned when you finally meet with God the Father, his judgment may not be as merciful as his Son? That he might set up something like a PowerPoint slide show revealing all your sins for everyone to see, even the deepest, darkest secret ones. What a nightmare! It would be for me anyway. What a blessing to know God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one Triune God. Jesus said when you see me, you see the Father. “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24, NIV). Jesus took all our sins upon himself and volunteered to be judged in our place. We have nothing to fear. What a loving, merciful God we serve!

My youngest daughter read my tale of woe about my dead computer mouse and rushed me over a live one on the same day. I’m mouseless no more! You may think this is a lot to do about nothing, but with several deadlines to meet, I did not need the frustration. I needed a mouse. So ask, and you shall receive. Or in this case, receive even before you ask. Isn’t that God’s way so many times.

My mouse quit on me. Even changing the batteries and checking its connections didn’t help. I can use my touchpad on my laptop, of course, but not nearly as convenient. Really! I thought nothing much could go wrong with that piece of technology we lovingly refer to as a mouse. Obviously, I was wrong. It’s frustrating because, like my keyboard, this little appliance is part of how I express my thoughts. Even now, I reach for it, forgetting it doesn’t work. Yes, how little it takes to frustrate me and how soon I forget. Me, who learned to type on a manual typewriter. Lord, help me not to take my blessings for granted.

When someone asked an old Amish farmer if he were a Christian, he replied, “Ask my neighbors.” When I read that, it made me immediately wonder how my neighbors would respond if they were asked that question. I believe they would say yes. I know what the old farmer meant, by your good deeds you are known. But on that point, just because they know I go to church or they feel free borrowing a tool or asking me to pick up mail or water their plants when they’re traveling doesn’t automatically mean I’m a Christian. Only through the sacrificial life of the Son of God am I a Christian. Good works are just the result.

If you’re like me, you get multiple spam messages in your inboxes and scam phone calls as well. I don’t answer phone calls I don’t recognize, and we can be thankful we can swipe left on our unwanted email messages. Still, this constant intrusion in our privacy can be frustrating. It’s as if the internet is reading my mind. I know it isn’t, it’s simply picking up on my likes and dislikes from social media and my online shopping habits. My phone also listens to me, waiting for voice commands and registering whatever I say. Yikes! As with most human endeavors, the invention of the internet and artificial intelligence (AI) has been both a blessing and a curse.

Sometimes when my daughter visits, she says, “Let’s get out of Dodge!” I’m always ready, so off we go on a drive. Our adventure might be to take photos of ranch gates or horses or whatever else strikes our fancy. I live in the country but she lives and works in the city and “getting out of Dodge (Dallas)” is a way she copes. Viewing horses and cows and fields of hay bales shimmering gold in the sun can calm a harried mind, but even then, it’s not enough. As C.S. Lewis famously wrote, we humans long for and were intended for something better. The beauty of this world does not compare to what God has in store for us.

After preparing a hearty steak lunch for us, my daughter settled down to watch a Dallas Cowboys football game. (This is Texas, folks!) As the Cowboys were winning handily, my daughter and her dog dozed off on the couch. My son-in-law pointed this out as he took a photo of the two cuddled together, sleeping away. A few minutes later she awoke, yawned and said something about taking a “snap.” At least that’s what it sounded like to me, “snap” for short nap. I liked the term so much, I’m borrowing it. So now when I fall asleep over my newspaper or crossword puzzle, I’m having a “snap.” You can borrow it too!

One of my favorite theologians described the intervention of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection as “a volcanic disturbance in human existence.” A merciful and loving Redeemer dropped right into our evil, sinful world to save us! I’ve known people who upon repentance and baptism immediately experienced a dramatic change in their lifestyle. The change was obvious to all who knew them. They became totally different people. Others grew up in a Christian home and were taught God’s way from their youth. On their baptism the change in them, though maybe not as apparent to others, was just as powerful. When Jesus becomes the center of your world he makes a volcanic difference in your life and mine.