Ok, God...What Have You Done for Me Lately?

The strangest emotional roller coaster ride in Texas this fall has been the success of the Texas Rangers. This is a team that had only won one playoff game in it's 50+ year franchise history. But this year, despite a number of injuries, some mediocre teams in their division, and being at least 20 games back in the race for the best record in the American League, they easily made the playoffs, but weren't expected to do much. Then, they beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series and the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series to make the World Series for the first time in history.

All of the dormant Ranger fans who had given up on the team after years of watching average baseball suddenly awakened from their slumbers and the Rangers bandwagon was full of enthusiastic supporters. Some even waited until it looked like a win over the Yankees was highly probable to show their excitement, but eventually, everyone came around.

Then the World Series came. The Rangers lost Game 1. Then they lost Game 2. And immediately, we began to hear moans and groans like "What are we going to do about the Rangers?" as if to say their losses in the World Series were typical of their regular season losing streaks in years gone by. Now, many fans are carrying the weight of disappointment, despite the fact that they had a phenomenal season and the future looks bright for a really great ball club with a solid core of great players.

As I thought about the prime example of human nature displayed by our support of a baseball team, I was reminded of how we often treat God. When everything is going well and life is full of blessings, we can hold our head high and worship and serve our Creator wholeheartedly. However, it's in the times when things aren't going right-when the bills exceed the income, when the loved one passes away, when the company is downsizing-that it's hard to remember what God HAS done for us.

As we have passed through Halloween and rounded the corner headed into Thanksgiving, let us be thankful for the things God has done. Psalm 100:4 says we should enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts. No matter how bad things get, we have much for which to be thankful because God has blessed us tremendously-if with nothing else, he has given us the means for eternal life through the gift of his son.

So whether your problems are great or maybe you're just mourning your favorite team's latest defeat, remember that God has blessed you and there are a lot of things for which to be thankful. What are you thankful for? What times in your life was it hard to be thankful?