Someone to thank

By REV. JUSTIN KOLLMEYER
Pastor

Atheists. It may seem a little strange, but the first people I want to mention today are atheists. These folks, of course, “believe” there is no God. It’s not politically correct to say this, but it’s my opinion that atheists have a lot of problems. I don’t mean they are all evil horrible-acting people, but they have some “issues” that must not be easy to live with.

One problem/issue is this: atheists do not have anyone to thank. Imagine looking at the stars or the mountains or a sunset or the ocean or a butterfly or a puppy or the food on the table or a newborn baby or your family or your friends…and not having anyone to thank for them. To deny that God exists leaves atheists with a huge void in the realm of their existence. They do not have anyone to thank. What a strange and lonely life that must be.

Fortunately, this problem/issue does not exist for those of us who know that God indeed does exist. And even better than knowing He exists is the fact that He is our Heavenly Father and we are His children. He made us. He loves us. He cares for us.

In a magazine article many years ago, Karen Melang reminds us that when we are astounded by the wonder of this dazzling world, when we are amazed year after year by golden and scarlet leaves or diamonds in the snow … we have Someone to thank. When babies reach for our hands, when parents and teenagers give each other a hug, when we have love we can count on…we have someone to thank! When what we do matters, when words strung together with care send tingles up our spines, when we belly laugh with sheer joy…we have someone to thank!

That we have someone to thank is the first statement of faith that we say when we say the ancient yet timeless Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” I believe this. I want you to believe this. And isn’t it great that because we believe this, we have someone to thank.

Martin Luther wrote 500 years ago as he was trying to teach his age and ages to come, which includes us, that what it means to say we believe in God as Father and Creator — is that we can thank God for everything that exists. We have someone to thank for our bodies and souls. We have someone to thank for food and clothing. We have someone to thank for home and family. We have someone to thank for daily work. We have someone to thank for all our needs that are provided and all the blessings we receive from day to day. We have someone to thank for giving us all these things simply because The Giver loves us, even though we do not deserve it.

It’s almost a funny thing, but when we think about it, it’s not that God needs our thanks. But instead, it is we who need to have someone to thank! We need to have someone to thank as much as we need food and clothing, home and family, daily work, and everything else to sustain life. If we didn’t have someone to thank, we possibly could enjoy some of God’s gifts, but we would miss the best gift of all — The Giver Himself … God Himself.

Without the gift of someone to thank, God’s other gifts would simply degenerate into mere possessions, which are as likely to possess us as we are to possess them. And that’s a bad thing.

My message to you this week is simply this: As we gather for the festivities that make this a typical Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded that we are so blessed to have all that we have. And most of all, we are reminded that we are so blessed to have someone to thank.

To all of you in the greater southside Atlanta area, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

(Kollmeyer is Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, located in Fayetteville on Ga. Highway 314 between Lowe’s and Fayette Pavilion. He invites anyone without a church home to visit Sunday services at 8:15, 9:30 (Contemporary), or 11:00 (Pipe Organ). For more information log-on at www.popdove.com or call 770-461-3403.)