“So thank God for His marvelous love, for His miracle mercy to the children He loves;

offer thanksgiving sacrifices, tell the world what He has done–sing it out!”

– Psalm 107:31-32 (The Message)

There is very little in this world we accomplish on our own. I remember a very talented running back who was reminded of this principle during an afternoon practice. After scoring three touchdowns in the previous week’s game, he was feeling more than a little cocky. During a team scrimmage, Steve was coming down hard on the offensive line for poor blocking. Our line coach finally had enough and decided to teach Steve a valuable lesson. He told his linemen not to block at all on the next play and he made sure to let the defensive players know the plan too. You can guess the result–Steve got lit up like a Christmas tree! How easy it is to forget the contributions of other people in our lives.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, take a minute to reflect on those who have helped you along the way. The list may include parents, spouses, coaches, teachers, church family and countless friends who have provided a helping hand when needed. These are the people that put you on the fencepost when you could not get there by yourself. How easy it is for us to be like Steve and take all the credit for ourselves. Even worse, how easy it is to forget to give God a much deserved thank you? We call out for Him to do the impossible in our lives and when He delivers, we think we did it on our own. Take time to give thanks. I pray that each of you will have a blessed Thanksgiving with family, friends and those you love. It is a joy to serve you through these weekly devotions and you help me stay on the fencepost each day. God bless.