Okay, when did I blink? Wasn’t it just the 4th of July? And, here it’s now November??? I stopped at a local store recently, and I found myself surrounded by Christmas merchandise. I love Christmas, don’t get me wrong, but where is the recognition of Thanksgiving? Many stores tend to jump from summer to Halloween to Christmas. Why does Thanksgiving get lost in the shuffle?
Thanksgiving may only be a day for some people. But, if you think about it, “thanksgiving” really is EVERY day. And, sometimes it’s easier to think of the things that are going wrong, instead of giving thanks for our blessings. This may come as a surprise (ha ha), but one of my favorite movies is “Pollyanna.” She wears a locket that contains a quote that states, “When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will.” The same could be said about life, right? When we dwell on the bad, how can we see the good?
We do live in uncertain times. I can speak from that place in my life right now, as many things are truly “up in the air,” things I have no control over. The thought is a little scary! However, in Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?…but strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (emphasis on verses 25 and 33, NRSV).
“Take my life, that I may be / consecrated, Lord, to thee…” We recently sang this hymn and it has been going through my head since then. So, instead of being anxious, we can trust our lives to God’s daily care. And, the energy that we would have used worrying about the things we have no control over, we can invest in loving service to one another and our neighbors.
This month, as the holiday of Thanksgiving approaches and as we get ready to journey into Advent and the coming of Christ, let’s find something each day to give thanks for. I’ll start…Day One: I am truly thankful for each and every one of you, for embracing me and welcoming me into this beautiful community, and for the ways you allow the light of Christ to shine in and through your lives. – What are you thankful for? – May you be blessed, as you are a blessing.