Tell Me Something Good // M-Note 11.15.2025

My oldest son Caleb now lives in New York City, and this past week, I got to visit him for a few days. I met some of his new friends, took him shopping, went to a play, walked through Central Park, and took him out to a few good restaurants. The trip was last minute. I hadn’t been to visit him since he moved there and though life is busy here, I knew that if I didn’t do it now, it could be spring before it happened. So, I just booked it, and I am so glad I did.
 
As I was flying back home (I had plenty of time to think because of delayed flights), I was reflecting on the importance of focusing on, and investing in, the good things in life. It is easy in our world to focus on what is wrong. The algorithms serve us the traumatic, the shocking, the controversial, and the conflictual every day. It takes little effort to notice what isn’t going well in life. But noticing the good things? That takes intentionality and focus. Recognizing the simple gifts and often overlooked blessings is a deliberate practice. Gratitude requires a stubborn and relentless willingness to notice, see, and recognize that which is good in life.
 
None of this is to suggest that we ignore what is wrong or sugar coat what is hard. Rather, gratitude is about remembering that the good and bad always coexist in life, and seeing the good takes work and effort.
 
Visiting Caleb, seeing him creating a life in a new place, and getting to spend time with him was a simple reminder of how good life is. And in a world full of news that shouts about what is wrong, it was a gift to see what is right. There are good things in your life, as well. Right now, no matter what else is happening, there are good things around you. Gratitude encourages us to notice and focus on those things.
 
This weekend, I will be continuing our series Three Weeks of Thanks by sharing a message on how we can cultivate gratitude even when life is difficult. It was a powerful message to write, and I think it will be a meaningful message to hear. So, I hope you will be in worship and make sure to invite someone else that might need to hear this message, as well.
 
Have a great weekend, and I will see you in church!
 
Peace,
Matt
 
P.S. Thank you to everyone who has turned in a Much Given, Much Expected commitment to give over the next two-years. Next week, I will announce the results of the initiative. If you haven’t yet turned in a card, please do. You can fill it out online, mail a card to our office (P.O. Box 435010, Saint Louis, MO 63143), or bring it in person during worship on Sunday.