I'm Thankful for Family

Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done wiht the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for our families.

God gave each of us a family. That family may look different from home to home, but he gave each of us people who love and care for us. People who protect us. People who are always looking out for us.

You may have a mom and a dad and a bunch of brothers and sisters. Or you may live in a home where you're the only child. Some of you may only live with one of your parents, and some kids even live with their grandparents.

No matter what your family looks like, remember that God gave you the members of your family. He knew we need parents to guide us and siblings to hang out with. He knew that sometimes tough things would happen during the day, and we would need a place to come home to where we would be loved and comforted.

Have you ever had something bad happen to you when you were away from home? Maybe another kid was mean to you or something embarrassing happened to you. Maybe all you wanted to do was go home because you knew your family would understand. You knew they would make you feel better.

Have you ever had a problem that you didn't know how to solve? God gave us families to help us through our problems. He gave us parents to offer us wisdom and to teach us the right thing to do. He gave us brothers and sisters who can listen to us and help us come up with solutions.

God even gave Jesus a family because He knew Jesus would need a welcoming place to grow up. Jesus had a mom and dad and brothers and sisters. He grew up in a loving family. His parents loved Him and guided Him. And His mother, Mary, treasured every moment with Him.

The Bible tells us we each have a role to play in our family. Moms and dads are supposed to teach and guide their children. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is talking to parents. It says: "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." A parent's job is to teach their kids about God.

Kids have a special role to play in the family, too. Exodus 20:12 says "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." That means kids need to respect and obey their parents.

God created the family as a place where we can be loved and learn about Him. I'm thankful for my family, and I hope you are, too.

Write the reasons you're thankful for your family on your Thanksgiving wall. Pray together and thank God for each other.