Overwhelmed by Thanksgiving

I have a couple of dear friends who emailed me this week asking if there was a Thanksgiving blog entry in the works. There wasn’t, but I didn’t want to let my faithful readers down. So I started asking God for a heart message about this, my favorite holiday.

Oddly enough, what I got wasn’t a neatly wrapped blog about all of the reasons I am (or should be) thankful this Thanksgiving, but rather this one question: Why am I not more thankful the other 364 days of the year?

I revisited my Thanksgiving post from last November because I didn’t want to repeat myself, but I can’t help it. There are two perennial truths that are unavoidable:

1. "From each individual breath we take to our very lives, and everything in-between...it's all from God, and it's all good.”

2. “I pray we will all have thankful hearts, each and every day.”

It appears that change for change's sake is a bad idea when it comes to gratitude. I still haven’t answered the question though. Why am I not more thankful the other 364 days of the year?

I am glad every day for so many things in my life…so many blessings straight from the hand of God. But I know I could be still more grateful if I only recognized that all of the good things in my life—every good thing—is from God. They’re not by accident, and they're certainly not by my efforts. His goodness abounds, and it is almost too much to wrap my mind, much less my heart, around.

So this year my prayer for myself, and for you, is for an awareness of the gifts in every moment, and that we may be overwhelmed with Thanksgiving!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~ James 1:17 (NIV)

Thankful Hearts

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." ~ Colossians 3:15 (NIV)

No question about it - Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I didn't feel that way when I was younger, of course. Then the "holidaypalooza" that Christmas has become was my first pick. After all, Christmas had a lot going for it: Gifts, flashing lights, a tree inside the house, and what seemed like an endless vacation from school. But the older I got, the more I could appreciate the simplicity of Thanksgiving.

Maybe it's because I don't have to fly anywhere during Thanksgiving week. But I think it has more to do with a holiday that's all about friends, family, food, and fellowship (ok, and football, if you're a fan). There's no pressure; it's just a day to be more aware of all we have to be thankful for. And no matter who you are, you have much to be thankful for. From each individual breath we take to our very lives, and everything in-between ... it's all from God, and it's all good.

So I wish you a wonderful day, filled with turkey that's not too dry, your loved ones holding hands around the table, and, if you're lucky, a nap in the afternoon. But most of all, I pray we will all have thankful hearts, each and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving.