Atheists. It may seem a little

strange, but the first people I want to mention today are atheists. These

folks, of course, "believe" there is no God. It's not politically

correct to say this, but it's my opinion that atheists have a lot

of problems. I don't mean they are all evil horrible-acting people,

but they have some "issues" that must not be easy to live with.

One problem/issue is this:

atheists do not have anyone to thank. Imagine looking at the stars or

the mountains or a sunset or the ocean or a butterfly or a puppy or the

food on the table or a newborn baby or your family or your friends...and

not having anyone to thank for them. To deny that God exists leaves atheists

with a huge void in the realm of their existence. They do not have anyone

to thank. What a strange and lonely life that must be.

Fortunately, this problem/issue

does not exist for those of us who know that God indeed does exist. And

even better than knowing He exists is the fact that He is our Heavenly

Father and we are His children. He made us. He loves us. He cares for

us.

In a magazine article many

years ago, Karen Melang reminds us that when we are astounded by the wonder

of this dazzling world, when we are amazed year after year by golden and

scarlet leaves or diamonds in the snow ... we have Someone to thank.

When babies reach for our hands, when parents and teenagers give each

other a hug, when we have love we can count on...we have someone to

thank! When what we do matters, when words strung together with care send

tingles up our spines, when we belly laugh with sheer joy...we have

someone to thank!

That we have someone to thank

is the first statement of faith that we say when we say the ancient yet

timeless Apostles' Creed. "I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth." I believe this. I want you to believe

this. And isn't it great that because we believe this, we have someone

to thank.

Martin Luther wrote 500 years

ago as he was trying to teach his age and ages to come, which includes

us, that what it means to say we believe in God as Father and Creator

- is that we can thank God for everything that exists. We have someone

to thank for our bodies and souls. We have someone to thank for food and

clothing. We have someone to thank for home and family. We have someone

to thank for daily work. We have someone to thank for all our needs that

are provided and all the blessings we receive from day to day. We have

someone to thank for giving us all these things simply because The Giver

loves us, even though we do not deserve it.

It's almost a funny thing,

but when we think about it, it's not that God needs our thanks. But

instead, it is we who need to have someone to thank! We need to have someone

to thank as much as we need food and clothing, home and family, daily

work, and everything else to sustain life. If we didn't have someone

to thank, we possibly could enjoy some of God's gifts, but we would

miss the best gift of all - The Giver Himself ... God Himself.

Without the gift of someone

to thank, God's other gifts would simply degenerate into mere possessions,

which are as likely to possess us as we are to possess them. And that's

a bad thing.

My message to you this week

is simply this: As we gather for the festivities that make this a typical

Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded that we are so blessed to have all

that we have. And most of all, we are reminded that we are so blessed

to have someone to thank.

To all of you in the greater

southside Atlanta area, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

(Kollmeyer is Pastor of Prince

of Peace Lutheran Church, located in Fayetteville on Ga. Highway 314 between

Lowe's and Fayette Pavilion. He invites anyone without a church home

to visit Sunday services at 8:15, 9:30 (Contemporary), or 11:00 (Pipe

Organ). For more information log-on at www.popdove.com or call 770-461-3403.)

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