There a times in life that cause us to stop and suddenly realize just how much we have to celebrate, the many gifts and blessings we have that God has so freely given to us. Yes these moments are all too rare and more often or not our lives are being driven by the demands of work or the responsibility of family or events in the world and sometimes even the call of the Church on our lives. If we are not careful these moments cause us to brood on the things we don’t have and we get sucked into a spiral of self-pity and the more we feel sorry for ourselves the more reason we have to feel that way.

Today, more than perhaps any other day in the nation’s history since 2001, there should be time to reflect on the attacks that took place and remember the countless lives lost or those who survived and are changed forever because of it. Yet in the midst of all that I pray we might also in the words of the old hymn take time to ‘count our blessings’, for when we do that life itself is different. Even among the unspeakable tragedies that have occurred around the world since 2001, there is so much that is not only good but indescribably wonderful, beautiful and perhaps beyond words.

In Gen 49:26 we read ‘The blessings of your father are stronger than the blessings of the eternal mountains, the bounties of the everlasting hills.’ (NRSV)  The words of Jacob speaking to his sons, but they could equally be describing the blessing of God to all of us. So as we reflect on this day let us be mindful of all that God has done for which we can be truly thankful.

May the peace that passes our understanding be your today and every day.

Pastor Andrew