As I prepare for Thanksgiving, I usually begin thinking of all the blessings God has given to me, and I’m thankful. However, this year I am not only thanking God for His many blessings, but I’m asking Him to show me how I can bless others.

I know many of my Amish friends who bless others by helping whenever they can. In fact, I’ve seen them drop whatever they are doing to help when a friend or relative has a need. I believe that God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. He desires for us to have a giving, loving heart. We are to imitate Jesus and go about doing good, as mentioned in Acts 10:38.

God’s Word also tells us in Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

What are some ways you have been blessed this week? What are some things you can do to bless others?

As a minister in the Church of the Nazarene, one of the first things my husband has always stressed while counseling couples preparing for marriage is the necessity to communicate with one another. Without communication, how will others know what we want and need? Without communication, how will we know their wants and needs? The important thing about communication is not merely in telling others our wants and needs, however. Communication is a two-way street, where we listen as well as speak.

The other day I was watching a program on TV and was astonished to hear a young woman monopolize all the conversation. The poor man she was talking to could hardly get in a word, and when he did, she kept interrupting him. It made me stop and think about my own communication with others. Do I listen as much as I speak? Do I take an active interest in what others are saying, or is the conversation all about me?

Have you ever noticed how people seem to light up when you ask about them or take an interest in the things they are doing? It’s a joy and a privilege to really listen when others are talking, because we can often learn a lot about that person, which in turn, will draw as closer to one another.

First Timothy 6:18 reminds us that we should be willing to communicate. Is there someone you need to communicate with today?

Have you ever stood in a grocery line, tapping your foot and feeling impatient because the clerk was taking too long, or there were too many people ahead of you? I’m sure there are times when everyone feels impatient–to get a job done faster, to move quicker in the grocery line, or to wait for an answer to prayer.

Having recently returned from a trip to Ohio, I found myself thinking about the patience I saw in some of my Amish friends while we were there. I believe their patient attitudes come from being taught at an early age that we can’t always have what we want when we want it. We must learn to wait for certain things, and waiting patiently makes the wait easier.

I am reminded of a little poem I wrote for my devotional, A Celebration of the Simple Life, entitled, “A Patient Attitude: The nature of a flower is to wait patiently for spring.” Flowers don’t worry or complain about every little thing. The nature of a flower is an example to all. When wind and rain threaten, a flower stands straight and tall. Let the flowers be your example for having a patient attitude. For when you face each day with patience, you’ll be in a better mood.

Is there something you’ve been praying about and not yet received an answer? What are some things you can do as you wait patiently for answers from the Lord? Hebrews 10:36 says, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”