GIVING THANKS

Q.  Thanksgiving seems to hold little meaning for most people today. It’s just a holiday from work, an excuse to eat too much and a chance to relax before the holiday shopping begins. Shouldn’t Thanksgiving mean more to us than this?

A.  Most of us know the story of the first Thanksgiving but we haven’t learned its meaningful lessons. The pilgrims were grateful for surviving a bitter winter though some of their number did not survive. They also were grateful for the religious freedom they enjoyed here. And they were thankful for the corn the Indians had given them. They had planted and harvested the corn and this enabled them to make it through the winter.

The pilgrims lived very primitively, faced many hardships, and had little materially, but they counted their blessings and thanked God for what they did have.

Our materialistic, cynical and fast-paced world has lost touch with the practice of giving thanks. The pilgrims, I suspect, gave thanks every day, not just on Thanksgiving. They had a habit of counting their blessings. They also weren’t in a big hurry all the time. They had fewer distractions. They could relax and enjoy the present moment.

         

We marvel at their ability to give thanks in the midst of great physical hardships.  Instead, we grumble and complain when we’re delayed by traffic or have to stand in line at the grocery store. The pilgrims were a hardier bunch. Or were they? Perhaps their ability to enjoy each moment and to withstand hardships stemmed from their constant prayerfulness. They were able to be positive and to rise above the difficulties because they gave thanks routinely.

         

If this is true, we need to take a lesson from the pilgrims and make a practice of giving thanks. They lived a simple but difficult life one day at a time. We, in contrast are so focused on getting ahead, making more money, buying a better house or a better car. Are we forgetting what’s really important? 

         

Gratitude helps us notice little kindnesses we take for granted. Gratitude helps us notice blue skies, sunny days, a beautiful sunset, autumn leaves. Gratitude helps us remember what’s right with our relationships, ourselves, our work, and our life.  Gratitude focuses us on positives. Gratitude focuses us on God.

To develop a habit of thanksgiving and make Thanksgiving Day more meaningful:

1. Read stories about the first Thanksgiving and notice the lessons we can learn from the Pilgrims.

2. Take time during or after Thanksgiving dinner for each person to tell the three things they are most thankful for. 

3. Give thanks to the “Indians” in your life; those unexpected people who have helped you. Invite them to dinner.

4. Make a habit of asking a blessing at meals every day. Teach your children a prayer or encourage them to make up one. Invite each member of the family to take turns offering the blessing.

5. Keep a daily Gratitude Journal in which you write down five things you’re thankful for. This practice will help you become a more positive person. It will make you aware of many blessings we take for granted. It will most importantly bring you closer to God.

6. When frustrations occur give thanks for what they can teach you. For example, having to wait in line can teach us patience, if we will let it. If we consistently count our blessings we will live happier and more positively in any circumstance. 

7. Read Thanksgiving Scripture on Thanksgiving Day.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 

Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

For the Lord is good;

His loving kindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

         

This Thanksgiving Day make plans to give thanks every day of the year.

Blessings, Dottie

THANKSGIVING IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE

Q. We traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving Day dinner with every family member expressing their gratitude about the year. This year, however, we have had many problems - job losses, deaths in the family, and accidents. How can we be thankful in the midst of all these troubles? 

          

A.  Giving thanks in the midst of troubles or tragedy is a challenge. Many would consider it impossible or even irrational. Grieving is normal and essential to work through disappointments and losses. Tears and some depression are normal at these times. However, we can focus on grief and depression too much. We do this when we forget to count our blessings. 

                                                                                               

The apostle Paul, who suffered beatings, shipwrecks, and even imprisonment wrote,  “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11). He didn’t say he was content about his circumstances but in his circumstances.

         

Joni Eareckson Tada was paralyzed as the result of a diving accident in her teens. She used the Bible verse “Give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thessalonians 5:18) as her anchor. She says, “I gritted my teeth, pushed aside feelings of despair, and willfully gave thanks for everything from the hospital breakfast of cold cornmeal mush to the grueling hours of daily physical therapy.” 

When she began this she didn’t feel thankful. She notes the difference between feeling thankful and giving thanks. Feeling thankful involves our emotions. Giving thanks is an act of the will. The Bible verse doesn’t expect us to give thanks for the difficult times. We only need to give thanks in them. Joni Eareckson Tada says that months later a miracle occurred. She began to feel thankful. Her despair lifted and her attitude brightened.

         

While attending a niece’s wedding years ago I took a serious fall which pushed two teeth up in my mouth and caused five stitches worth of damage to my upper lip. Though this was minor in comparison to the experiences of Joni Eareckson Tada or the writer of today’s letter, I found myself giving thanks that I was not knocked out, broke no bones, and was able to attend the wedding later the same day. I was very upset about what had happened to me but still thankful in many ways. 

Sarah Ban Breathnach in her book Simple Abundance recommends keeping a Gratitude Journal in which we write down five things we’re grateful for each day. Doing this on a daily basis for several months will change us. A gratitude journal helps us notice the small caring gestures of friends and family members. And we then thank them more. Thanking others for being in our life and for the things they do for us enhances our marriage and our family life as well as changing us, and making us contented. 

A gratitude journal will help you see that even in the midst of trouble or pain, there is this, this and this going well in your life. It will also help you recognize what the difficulty or tragedy has taught you. 

David, who wrote most of the Psalms in the Bible, wrote about his despairing inner struggles yet he also was grateful for every blessing. He very humanly describes his struggles, even wondering if God has abandoned him, yet he continues to practice gratitude.

 

When things go well we take our blessings for granted. Difficulties force us to recognize what’s important in life; that we need God and that we need each other. Gratitude helps us grow spiritually. It connects us with God, the source of our life and our hope. 

Give thanks on Thanksgiving Day in spite of your troubles. A gratitude journal will help you learn to be contented in any situation and Thanksgiving Day is a perfect time to begin one. Have a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving!

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”          1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB

Blessings, Dottie

Thanksgiving: A Celebration!

Celebrate Thanksgiving!

Life is not easy and often life is extremely difficult. However, even in the best of times many of us dwell on the negative side of things and fail to notice the positive side.  We take many of life’s joys and pleasures for granted. We fail to notice the positive moments paralleling our negative ones.

   

Luci Swindoll in her book You Bring The Confetti, God Brings The Joy, challenges us to celebrate life. She literally means we should throw a party at every opportunity and celebrate. She views life as “a festival to be enjoyed rather than a drudgery to be endured.” 

   

She tells of having to leave her office on an errand on a dreary day when she was out of sorts. She asked God to send her a “perk,” something to cheer her up.  Just then she turned a corner and saw in the cab of a pickup truck, two clowns decked out in red wigs and painted faces. They smiled toothless smiles at her as she drove by. All day long this incident lifted her spirits as she thought about it.

   

She suggests that life is full of unrecognized “perks” ready to bring us joy. But we need to notice them and celebrate them, not take them for granted or miss them.

   

Here are some ways this Thanksgiving we can celebrate and be optimistic:

Celebrate Now. 

Learn to live in the present and savor each moment. We must learn to notice some of the enjoyable experiences today brings. We can’t do this if we’re pessimistic. We can’t do this if we’re dwelling on regrets or resentments in the past or if we’re worrying about the future. We must be fully present in the now. Even in the midst of trouble we can notice the laughter of a child or the smile of a friend.

   

Celebrate Friends and Family. 

Think of those who have loved you and helped you throughout your life. Think of the people who have influenced you and made a difference in your life. Reach out to the people currently in your life and let them know you appreciate them. Celebrate them!  Remember, no one is perfect, think of the positive qualities of the people in your life. 

   

Celebrate Accomplishments. 

Most of us dwell on our failures and mistakes. We forget the successes big and small that we’ve had. Make a list of the things you’ve accomplished in life. Remember finding jobs, and job promotions. Remember paying off debts, learning a new skill, climbing a mountain. Remember difficult challenges you’ve met, illnesses you’ve survived. Remember the love you've given to others. The list can be endless. 

   

Celebrate Beauty. 

There is amazing beauty in a glorious sunset, in a starlit sky, in a rose garden or in a single rose. Beauty is also found in the words of a song or poem that inspires and in music that lifts our heart and soul. There is beauty in every day. We must not take it for granted.

Celebrate God. 

When we count our blessings we feel like celebrating. When we’re grateful for the blessings in our life, our troubles are minimized. When we notice God’s kindness and faithfulness, all else seems less important. Luci Swindoll says, “Let’s throw a party in celebration of the God who brings us joy!” That’s the way our Thanksgiving holiday began and that’s what it’s all about. Let’s celebrate Thanksgiving!

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100

Blessings, Dottie

This didn't go out prior to Thanksgiving! I hope readers enjoy it and give thanks, count your blessings through all the holidays.