Oh, Thanksgiving. I don’t even know where to begin. I am so stinkin blessed that if I ever tried to make one of those I am thankful for….I am thankful for…I am thankful for…lists I would be here until Christmas. The daunting task of starting to list doesn’t stress me out. Rather, it is all the emotion that is associated with it that makes me pause. I often forget just how lucky I am, just how blessed I am. The thought of the kind and loving people God has blessed me with makes me start to tear up from a brimming grateful heart.
It is so easy to get caught up in the small stuff or even the medium stuff and lose sight of the amazing freedom and blessings we have every day. The world has gotten so selfish and so ungrateful that it forgets to be thankful for the little things. A child’s laugh. A dog’s wet nose when he nuzzles you. A hug from your Mother. I forget to be thankful and I am humbled when I stop and think about the things I never stop to really enjoy. As time passes and things slowly slip past, those opportunities move along with the ticking of the clock. Wow, that is hard to think about.
The upside is that hopefully we get more. More opportunities to love and to share. More opportunities to worship Jesus and to share his truth. More opportunities to hug our families and friends.
The house is silent this morning and it is a deafening silence. I know there are kitchens warming up all over the country. Families are preparing to give thanks and break bread. The smell of turkey will be pungent very soon. Here the dogs are sleeping on my toes and the space heater is humming. Thinking of the hustle and bustle and hugs and laughter elsewhere else breaks my heart a little. I guess that is why I have such a melancholy tone this morning. That tone is exactly what I am talking about.
I should be thankful that Jesus died for my sins and has paid for my entrance into Heaven. I should be thankful that I am having turkey…just later. I should be thankful that I have two dog toe warmers, a space heater, and the opportunity to adjust the thermostat in this house that I love. And yet I want more. This is where I need to remember to be thankful, grateful, and loving. That is my challenge to myself and my challenge to others. Be thankful…not just when the kitchen is full of yummy smells and bustling with family…but also in the silence. Even in that silence take the opportunity to give thanks for the things you might otherwise let slip past. Thank God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon you and make the absolute best of every moment you have.
Filed under: Life as I see it... | Tagged: Family, love, Thanksgiving | 1 Comment »
