GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
OF ST. MARK’S
1001 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207
—
(704) 375-9185 —
info@germanchurch.org
GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
OF ST. MARK’S
1001 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207
—
(704) 375-9185 —
info@germanchurch.org
"Count Your Blessings"
On Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving Day here in the
United States. This is the time to pause and to count our blessings.
But first, a verse from the American song "Count your blessings"
When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
This is exactly what I want to do now:
In the spring, a hole appeared in the ceiling between the bathroom and laundry
room, and we could not use the bathroom for weeks. But God gave us friends so we
could repair this. Now we have a new bathroom with a tub that works, and we can
finally take a bath.
Later, our family van broke down and a friend tried to help me fix it -
unfortunately without success - and we had to sell it as quickly as possible,
before it got even worse. God blessed us with a "new" used vehicle.
Later in the year our plumbing stopped up and I had to take apart, clean, and
put back together most of the drain pipes. Again I learned something new, and
God blessed me with new knowledge and skills.
Shortly thereafter, our little car broke down; in the evening when it began to
get dark, a friend came to help me - unfortunately again without success. But
God brought me not only this friend who helped me out after dark, but also a
"good Samaritan" who stopped and tried to repair the car. Strangers even came by
who wondered whether we needed something to drink. At this time our car still
doesn’t run, but through another friend we are working on repairing it. God
blessed us through friends and through "good Samaritans".
Much of which at the start appears to be a disaster, God can turn around and use
to bless us. Take, for example, the story of Joseph (Genesis 37ff).
Joseph was sold into Egypt, and then jailed because of false accusations. He was
locked away and forgotten in jail, and yet the story ends with - as one would
say today – "a happy ending". In the end God elevated Joseph to a high position
from which he could finally bring his family to where he lived, and provide them
with food during the time of famine in Israel.
When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
So now I end my message with an invitation to you:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
May this Thanksgiving Day be really special for you. This is my wish.
Matthias Bechert and the Team from the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Marks