Take a Deep Breath and Pray – Libby Hall
Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
As we prepare for Thanksgiving celebrations in 2020, we may be wondering how we will be able to celebrate 
this traditional holiday during a pandemic, political divisiveness, social unrest, and other wide-spread troubles.
Pause for a moment, take some deep breaths, and look back in history – even back to Biblical times. Think of other periods in time when humanity struggled with famines, plagues, wars, floods – all kinds of tragedies and disasters.
If this exercise in remembering the past in a global way seems far away and too far-reaching to get your arms around, do the same exercise using your own life experiences on a familial or personal level. Think of loss, grief, grave illness, separation, estranged relationships. Before we feel totally overwhelmed, challenge yourself to take an example in your own life and reflect on the aftermath when you found yourself looking back on what happened, with whom, where you were and focus on the time when your hardship eased – how did you find resolution, comfort, acceptance, forgiveness? Be ready to seize that time when things ease in your life – give yourself something to look forward to – be it big or small.
Prayer: God, we thank You for all Your blessings: for health and strength and daily food; for people who have entered our lives and blessed us with their presence; for all who have long been part of our lives; and for the love and grace You have poured out on us so we can be a blessing to others. Amen