It’s that time again, time to Give Thanks, time to put on that Attitude of Gratitude, time to be Thankful – you know, Thanksgiving is in the air, its November…again! Personally, Thanksgiving carries great memories of family, football and food; always a great time to simply hang out. However, one thing that has always bugged me about this time of year, namely: Thanksgiving should never be reduced to an event celebrated on one Thursday a year; granted, I do thank President Lincoln for this day to remind me that I do live in the greatest country in the world.
My contention, if you will, is not only to celebrate Thanksgiving every November with family and friends; but to also celebrate Thanksgiving every day. There’s an old proverb that says, “A cheerful heart make a glad countenance.” Modern medicine teaches us that those who have a heart of thanksgiving, an existence of being Thankful, have a better outlook, a more positive approach to life and, are even healthier than the ‘..Woe is me, life stinks…’ type of people.
Now, as a Pastor and a Chaplain, my Source of Thanksgiving is based upon an event in history that has radically changed my life – it’s the event that not only has changed me, but further, provides me with blessing upon blessing that elicits a response of thanksgiving every day of my life.
I also fully understand that not everyone shares my convictions and that’s okay. My thought is simply this: all of us have reason to be Thankful – no matter our situation; we can find something to be thankful for. And, I submit to you it’s a daily decision, an act of our will, to look for areas in our life to be thankful for. From health, to employment, to family – you name it, there is something we can be thankful for, daily!
A friend of mine is in the deepest challenge I’ve come across in a long time: his wife has stage four cancer and his son is trapped in a vegetative state due to a hospital mistake. This man’s outlook is simply amazing. You see, just six months ago, Carol was a teacher at an elementary school and very respected; and, Grant was in his senior year of high school – projected to be the Valedictorian en route to a major university in San Diego. In a matter of weeks, Grant was trapped in a state of non-responsiveness and Carol’s cancer returned with a vengeance. We might ask, “What in the world does Mike have to be thankful for?" Well, as an act of Mike’s will, though he doesn’t run around in denial, though he doesn’t act all Pollyanna, he chooses, daily, to look for ways to be thankful, for ways to be grateful, in spite of his circumstance! (Oh…how I respect this precious man and his attitude).
Folks, today, tomorrow and I encourage you for the rest of your life – look for ways to be Thankful, daily! I am convinced if we can be a people of Thanksgiving, a people of gratitude, our outlook will not only be optimistic, our health will not only improve, but I believe our future will be good!
As you finish this brief read, right now think of three things you can be thankful for…and dwell on these today. Do the same thing tomorrow and the next day & you’ll discover life is good and there’s a plethora of things we can simply be Thankful for! Cheers…
