My thoughts on Thanksgiving and gratefulness.

It’s that time of year when we all love (or hate) to go around the table and share what we are thankful for. My friend, Steve, preached a powerful sermon last Sunday about what we really have to be grateful for if we are in Christ. Steve’s words reminded me of another months-long conversation I’ve been having with my friend, Daniel (I’m nothing without my friends, y’all), inspired by this interview with Tim Mackie on the book of Job. We’ve been talking about this idea that as believers, we’d walk in a different kind of gratitude if we started to view anything good we experience as an interruption to our suffering life, instead of suffering being an interruption to our good life. This idea has only been emphasized through studying the book of Genesis as a church this semester. 

I had the daunting privilege of teaching the first three chapters of Genesis – aka the foundation of the Christian story (no pressure) – earlier this fall. While I could go on and on about what that task did in me, and the way the Lord used his Word to revive my weary soul once again, I’ve limited myself to 500 words today, so I’ll spare you. But what I’ve been reminded of over and over and over again is that anything good and everything good comes from God. Any and every good thing we have, enjoy, taste, experience, smell, see, touch, or hear is a gift and grace from the Lord.

The foundation of the Christian story is that God made us to love, enjoy and live in relationship with him. We rebelled against him in our sin, and the second that sin entered that story everything fractured. Everything broke, nothing was left untouched, from the smallest molecule to the skies above. Ever since that moment, nothing is as it should be – which means that this life should really only be marked by brokenness and suffering. Any good thing that we experience is a light in the crack, a welcome interruption, a glimpse of grace from a good and perfect God. 

Yet, so often we expect the opposite. We want a good life, we expect a good life full of wonderful things, and we get frustrated when suffering or brokenness infringes upon what we have going. But Genesis makes clear that the consequences of sin are chaos, conflict, strife, suffering, and ultimately, death. This means that nothing good is a given – anything good is a gift. 

Any comfort and order in our days, on the streets, in our city is a gift. Any unity in friendship or marriage or our family unit is a grace. Any joy and purpose in our work is an act of kindness. Any moment full of belly laughter or light or ease is an interruption to the curse. And those things are all just common grace, daily gifts mercifully given to both those within God’s family and without. Don’t even get me started on the costly grace poured out on the cross for all who believe. I’ve already exceeded my 500-word limit. 

I pray that as you take your seat at your Thanksgiving table tomorrow, no matter the particular circumstances of your family dynamics or season of life, that you would be overwhelmed with gratitude for the reality that any good and perfect gift really does come from above. God has lavished on us countless daily interruptions from the curse of sin, but no gift is as magnificent as Christ, God’s own Son, offered freely for us. As we look to the start of Advent in just a couple of days, may we be overwhelmed by the greatest interruption this sin-soaked world has ever experienced –  the God-man that came in the form of a baby to exchange this life of suffering for a life that is even better than good – life eternal, life abundant, the life with God that we were made for!

Featured This Month

Things I’m loving right this very minute!

Creation and Blessing Commentary

As I said, I’ve been studying Genesis this semester with the women (and men) of Eastside and it has been my favorite Bible Study semester to date for so many reasons, including the use of this commentary! There aren’t a lot of commentaries that I would read for fun, apart from teaching purposes, but this one is an exception. I can’t get enough. If you are studying Genesis with me or just want a deeper look at this foundational book of the Bible, this is worth every dollar.

Krista Lavrusik

Guys, do you know about Krista Lavrusik on Instagram? She calls herself a millennial mom with gen z style and she’s all about “giving the most for the least.” She talks fashion and is currently recreating looks from 90’s movies, like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman or Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally and I’m here for it.

All Things French

A couple of weeks ago I had a free Saturday night and I spent the evening making this French Inspired Chicken Pot Pie while listening to this French Cafe Playlist and it was très bien. Was I inspired by La Pitchoune? You know it.

This Podcast Episode

I found this podcast conversation between Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert about grief to be really profound. First, because I think Stephen Colbert is a believer and that shapes his hope and experience with grief, but also because it was really meaningful and refreshing to here two grown men process such an intimate thing, like grief, publicly.

This Recipe

This newsletter has basically become an ode to The Modern Proper and I’m fine with that… this orzo risotto is the perfect compliment for the next time you watch The Holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! This is one of my favorite ways to create and I’m so thankful you keep reading.

Thanks for being here!

Marissa

If you’d like to read the full newsletter in its original format (including some additional fun links + goodies!), you can do so right HERE!