Seize the Opportunity to Give Thanks - Minister Jessie Mo

Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.
(Psalm 50:23)
November is the season of thanksgiving! As we prepare to celebrate the annual Thanksgiving, we can also use this opportunity to reflect on our journeys throughout the year and discover the trace of God's grace in our lives.
I thank God that this year I finally had the opportunity to learn course of “Journey to Intimacy” with the sisters in our church. In this growth group, we have many practical exercises to help us build better relationships, and one of them is to make emotional deposit for the angels in our lives. Who are the angels in our lives? They are the people who have helped us, given us love and grace in the storms of our lives, when we are in danger and frustration. (Referenced from the student handbook of “Journey to Intimacy”.)
The first angel that came to my mind was my middle school counselor from church. Although I went to church with my grandmother and attended children's Sunday school when I was very young, I did not have a staple church life until my classmate from middle school invited me to her church. My counselor was gentle and kind, and she would often call to show her care for me and pray with me. She would also write me small cards to encourage me to pursue and grow in the Lord. Her ministry is a wonderful example for me on the road of ministry, and when I think of those two years of church life, my heart is always touched and filled gratitude!
However, it is a pity that when I left Taiwan, I did not ask her address. At the time when the internet was not yet widespread, I lost contact with my counselor. During my 25 years of living  in the United States, I thought about all sorts of ways I might find her, but I never take the action. It wasn't until during this Journey to Intimacy group that my small group leader encouraged me and also prayed for me to have the opportunity to reconnect with my counselor so that I could express my gratitude to her.
In the past, I have tried to search for the counselor’s name on Facebook, but I can't really confirm from the profile pictures. Then one day, a friend’s suggestion appeared on my Facebook with the exact same name of my counselor.  Although I still couldn’t recognize her from the profile picture, but I decided to send her a message anyway because I don’t want to be regretted again.
Thank God I found my counselor that I had been missing for 25 years!  And finally I was able to express my gratitude to her for many years!
Through this experience, I would like to encourage three things with you all:

1. Be grateful for the people in our lives – take the opportunity to thank them and recognize their efforts
2. Be grateful for the opportunity to learn – every learning experience gives us a new challenge and helps us improve
3. Be grateful for the opportunity to serve – whether it's to serve God or others, whether it's big or small, we can be a blessing to others

Let's seize the opportunity to give thanks!  Happy Thanksgiving!