Romans 1:11, 12  For I long to see you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. (NLT)

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Edification is at its best when it is mutual. 

I have spent the last week in close quarters with many wise and accomplished friends. One of those friends told an old joke about a man who entered his mule in the Kentucky Derby. He didn’t think he could win, but he thought the association would do him some good.

I have been done good this past week. 

Spending time with friends who know God deeply, who achieve great things for him, and who help others dream greater dreams and take their best next steps, quickens our pace and pulse. This leads us into fulfilling experiences of God’s grace and goodness. 

My bride and I leave later this week for a pre-holiday visit with West Coast family members. The travel and time away will help me reflect and preserve the good, good blessings of these last few days. 

This is a season of thanksgiving. It begins before the holiday bearing this name. It continues well beyond the Black Friday lead-in to the Christmas season. 

Gratitude is a daily grace when practiced with intention and reflection. It is at its best when we deploy it in moments of recognition. It serves us well during moments of loss when we realize just how blessed we are and have been for so long. It becomes a habitual disposition when we gain new insight into God’s heart.

How has gratitude graced you recently? 

How can you gift those blessings in a manner that encourages others?

We grow stronger and better when we strengthen one another in gratitude.

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I will live to edify others.

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Our Father, your goodness is greater than we can declare. Your grace is more amazing than we can sing. The encouragement of kindred hearts enriches and emboldens us. Empower us to edify one another as often as possible. Teach us how to invest in one another with kindness and gratitude. Amen.