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It is amazing as we remember from last Thanksgiving to this Thanksgiving how life has changed.

Last year we could travel anywhere in the world that we wanted to go, see anybody we wanted to see and have Thanksgiving celebrations as much or as little as we wanted, without another thought. As we think about how much has been lost, this Thanksgiving should make us more thankful for what we do have. One thing that all followers of Christ have is a relationship with God.

“After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.” (II Kings 14-16)

“Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.” (I Kings 8:22-23)

“And Hannah prayed, and said; “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (I Samuel 2:1-2)

“At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required; Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:25-32)

Enjoy your family and friends through in-person, Zoom or phone, but remember to take the time to thank the giver of all things, God, Himself. Thanksgiving blessings from God to us and from us to God! Enjoy.

Yvette Perrin is a columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.