THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

When we were in Palu, Sulawesi a few weeks ago, during the Sunday service a teen-aged girl sang a song about God’s timing. With her beautiful and clear voice, she sang, “Even though it’s not easy to understand, God’s time is the best. Through trials I continue to believe that God’s time is the best.” After the service the pastor told me that the girl who sang the song had lost her home during the earthquake and tsunami that struck Palu a year ago.

It suddenly dawned on me why she chose that song: She wanted to testify to her unwavering faith in God. No matter what happened she continues to believe that in God’s time, He’ll provide. Through that song she also wished to give thanks to God because even though she had lost her home, she still had her family. Even though to that day she and her family had to stay in someone else’s home, they were at least together. For that she’s forever grateful.

Thanksgiving is not about the good times or the good things we have; Thanksgiving is about the Good God we place our trust in. If it were about the good times and the good things we have, we won’t be able to give thanks to God all year long and all the time. No, we give thanks to God for His goodness to us which does not always translate into good times and good things. His goodness translates into His love toward us, at all times and through all things.

Even though Peter Tan is no longer with us, I still remember the words he always said whenever I asked him how he was doing, “Better than yesterday.” For someone who sat on a wheelchair, the answer he gave spoke volume of his clear grasp on what it meant to be thankful. He was thankful to God because every day he could find something better, no matter how small it was; so can we.

Pastor Paul