What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
Even though, yes I have had my Christmas decorations up for a month, that doesn't take away what this holiday season of Thanksgiving means to me. And sure, Thanksgiving is full of fabulous food, football and family traditions, but when I think of this time of year, that isn't what immediately comes to mind.
For starters, our country may be very divided on issues such as politics, race, equality, socio-economic status, but one thing is for sure, we are still a very blessed people to live in a land where we are free. Free to worship God openly, free to go to church, free to work and play wherever we want. We have our needs met in abundance, we have opportunities granted to us that some people can only ever dream about. As we drove to church Sunday morning, I reminded Madison that as we began this holiday week, we need to open our eyes and see the things right in front of us that we sometimes take for granted. Being able to drive to church and worship God without fear is a huge advantage that other countries will never have.
And while it may be cliche to say yes, I am thankful for my house, my belongings, my material things, have you ever stopped to think about what some people would give to have 1/10 of what we own? I look around and realize me and the girls have more than we could ever possibly need to survive. And I think about the people that don't have a warm meal, a warm house, a warm bed, clean clothes or clean water.
Over the span of our lifetime, people will come in and out of our lives. Some people are there only for a season, some are there only for a lesson, and then there are those that God brings to us that are meant to totally change our lives and imprint on our hearts and souls forever. Sure, no relationship is perfect, there are challenges, hardships, fights, good days, bad days and all kinds of in between. But if you are lucky enough to even count on one hand, people that you know would be there for you no matter what, consider yourself very fortunate. I think we spend too much time (me included) focusing on the one relationship we don't have, or the one relationship we lost, or the one that isn't perfect and we forget to be thankful for our people we do have. Life is short, things can change in an instant, so don't waste your time worrying about yesterday, and don't drain your energy on people that aren't there for you. Concentrate on the ones that do care.
While I am glad we take the time to celebrate a national holiday of giving thanks, I believe "thanksgiving" should be something we feel in our hearts and that we express in our actions every single day. So I challenge you all, every night before you go to bed, write down one thing you are thankful for specifically that very day. And if it is a person, tell them, because they might not know. When we turn our hearts to being thankful and expressing gratitude, I truly believe it can and will shift our thoughts, our hearts and our lives.
Wishing you all a safe, blessed and happy Thanksgiving week!
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