Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thoughts on Gratitude

I had no idea that Thanksgiving was so controversial until I caught about one minute of a radio talk show argument about celebrating Thanksgiving. I am sorry but give me a break. How can pausing to reflect on the things we are grateful for be anything but a good thing?

Thanksgiving as a holiday is fine, if you get one. Some folks don't and so it is not so great for them. In a world driven by shopping, Thanksgiving is certainly not loads of fun for people in the retail business, just lots of long hours with too many rude customers. My heart goes out to those who have to work through the holidays. I have worked on holidays too often myself - it is not a fun part of my job.

What I am in favor of is a time to reflect and be grateful. I need this is my life and not just for a day or two but to live with gratitude daily.

Grateful people are wonderful to be around. My dear Mom was one of the most grateful people I have ever known. She was grateful day in and day out, even when I could not find any reason to be thankful. She had a grateful heart and we were all blessed by that. I want to be that kind of person.

Ungrateful people are a burden to be around. We have to spend all our time trying to cheer them up or change their attitude and usually it doesn't work. Being around people who complain, whine, moan, criticise, and see only the dark side of things is exhausting.

Paul has this line that has always been a challenge for me: "... give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (I Thess. 5:17) That is the heart of the matter. Gratitude is easy when we are flying high and everything is going your way. Being a grateful person when life is kicking you in the shins is something else all together. What Paul knew was that we cannot control our circumstances but with God's help we can control our response to them. He would say, "... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance". (Philippians 4:11)

I have noticed that grateful people have a quiet strength about them that is truly inspirational.

One person told me all the things they were thankful for, even though they were confined to a hospital bed with an illness that was not going away.

One parent explained to me their gratitude for lessons they learned by being the parent and caregiver of a child with special needs.

One minister told me about how grateful he was for his church when his wife died - his eyes overflowed with tears as he expressed his thankfulness for the way they rescued him again and again and helped him raise his three young children.

The Psalms are really an old songbook and some of the songs are really sad songs. But the Psalms ring with thanksgiving and praise -
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4

It's Thanksgiving week and I am grateful -so grateful... and I want my gratitude to last.

Just thinking, Steve

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    and this was certainly not in your line. There is however a good prospect of something worth having turning up in six months from this, and then you will hear from me again

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