Hi everyone,

So I’m heading out the door pretty quick here as I have to make it out to Maple Ridge for another service. I know it doesn’t take that long to get there, but as it turns out, I need to get gas as well. I was hoping to wait until I get out there in hopes that it’ll be cheaper, but thanks to the modern marvel of the internet, I can see that the prices are exactly the same. And I don’t really have time to drive another 20-30 minutes down the road where the prices actually do get cheaper.

Sigh, it never fails. Whenever I need to get gas, that is when the prices are at their highest. I wait and wait for them to come down but they never do, until maybe the day or two after I fill up.

But to put it into perspective, my tank takes about 55-60 litres to fill. Even if there was a 10 cent discrepancy in the price per litre, we’re talking a difference of just over $5. I’m not super wealthy but I think I can afford an extra $5 when it takes almost $100 to fill up. And I know, it adds up. We can and probably should be careful with our spending. But at this point, I feel it’s more important for me to get to where I’m going (another worship service) than it is to save $5.

I’m going to choose to be thankful that I have that option. I have a vehicle that can conveniently take me places. And I can attend these worship services that is too far away to walk or take transit in any reasonable time. It’d be easy to focus on the extra $5 I’m putting into my gas tank, but I think I’d rather focus on the reasons to be appreciative of life itself.

Thanks be to God!

Here are the readings for next week:
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
And a video of them being read:

These texts seem to be about appreciation. See what we are given, recognise it as a gift, and be thankful.

This isn’t to say that we won’t ever have anything to complain about, but I’m saying that if we put it all into perspective, I think we have much more to be thankful for.

We have our community. Our support system. Our lives.
We have this beautiful weather right now. The amenities we need to be safe and secure. Even entertainment options.
We have a God who loves us. Feeds us. And saves us from thinking that we are anything less than God’s people.

These are reasons to be thankful in this season of Lent. That while we might want to complain about the bad in our lives, we can reflect on how God is with us throughout, holding us, and lifting us up in faith and hope, trusting that God has us and will always be our rock and salvation.

So again, thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!