The Daily: Saturday November 29, 2025

Scripture

Let the Chosen One guide you on the path of peace and harmony, and then as his one body this peace will be the guiding light in your hearts as you give thanks to the Great Spirit.

Let the message of the Chosen One become a deep watering hole inside you. It will then become a refreshing spring as you teach and guide one another with wisdom and understanding. You will sing traditional prayers, sacred chants, and spiritual songs, as you dance your prayers before the Great Spirit with glad and thankful hearts.

Every step taken and each word spoken should be done to represent our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus), as you dance your prayers and give thanks through him to our Father the Creator.

Colossians 3:15-17

Wildman, Terry M.. First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament (pp. 370-371). (Function). Kindle Edition.

While the season of Thanksgiving is an opportunity to root ourselves in gratitude, it is also a painful season for indigenous people and those who walk with them. In honor of them, our readings this week will be from the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament.

A Shift in Attention

Sometimes the most profound changes happen not when our circumstances change, but when our attention shifts. Imagine having the same overwhelming to-do list, the same time constraints, the same world problems - but suddenly seeing it all through different eyes. This is the power of gratitude: it doesn't necessarily change what's happening around us, but it transforms what's happening within us. When our attention shifts from scarcity to abundance, from fear to possibility, from what's wrong to what's right, we discover something remarkable: within our hearts lies the possibility of wholeness, of peace, of shalom.

This isn't about denying difficulties or pretending everything is perfect. It's about recognizing that even in the midst of challenges, there's something deeper at work. The grateful leper in Luke's story experienced this shift. His circumstances were the same as the other nine - they all received healing, they all had their lives restored. But his attention was captured by something more: the recognition of grace, the awareness of gift, the presence of the divine in his ordinary moment. This shift in attention is available to us too.

Right now, in whatever circumstances you're facing, there's the possibility of experiencing that same wholeness. Not because everything is perfect, but because God's presence with us makes wholeness possible even in imperfect situations. Gratitude isn't about having a naive smile or pretending difficulties don't exist. It's about having the courage to see beyond the immediate challenges to the deeper reality of God's goodness and presence.

Reflection Question
If your circumstances stayed exactly the same but your attention shifted to focus on God's presence and goodness, what might you discover about the possibility of wholeness in your current situation?

Prayer
od, help me to understand that transformation often begins with a shift in attention rather than a change in circumstances. Open my eyes to see Your presence and goodness even in the midst of challenges. May I discover the wholeness and peace that are possible when my focus is on You. Amen.