Recently, in a sermon, I heard something interesting that resonated with me. It is hard to have a thankful spirit. We are trained from an early age to automatically thank everyone for everything. As we grow the true sentiment fades and it becomes a reflex. In a busy and fast-moving landscape, we often forsake moments of reflection to take stock of everything God has given us. I know I am guilty of moving through life on autopilot without stopping to look around at the abundance of blessings God has poured out over me.
That is the beauty of the Thanksgiving holiday season. We take a moment, even if it is just a prayer before the meal, to really be thankful. It is an opportunity to really soak in the reality of God’s mercy and sovereignty. I think back on such an incredible year at Scalpel and I could not be more thankful for God’s provision. God has shown us time and time again that despite the rocky road we travel he is there for us. I think of moments of God’s awesome provisions like this past mission trip with a broken autoclave (sterilization machine that makes our surgeries possible) where the whole campaign seemed in jeopardy but we were still able to operate on 20 different patients, to fixing the roof in Jungle Bunks, to hiring two full time staff members where words are insufficient to express the gratitude I feel. Certainly, God has been not just allowing us but propelling us to achieve our mission of being a lighthouse for Christ through a medical ministry in the Peruvian Amazon region of South America.
I hope in this season of thankfulness you would reflect on Psalm 136: 1-3, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
Have a blessed Thanksgiving from the Scalpel family!
