Letter from prison

A letter from prison recently arrived. Writing to give thanks for remembering her in prayer, she wanted our community to know that she had not forgotten about us. Furthermore, she would like to continue making an offering to a place that was making Christ known in the world.

It's powerful to hear God's words of praise and thanks freely expressed from a woman behind bars. The note reminded me a of a letter from the apostle Paul in the bible. He wrote lots of letters to communities of faith, just like the one our church recieved. In one of his letters he gave this advice: "Rejoice always, prayer without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

How might our lives be transformed if we tried to live into Paul's advice? Is it possible that our only requirement of living a relationship with God is to give thanks?