We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK, but I've always loved the idea of the American Thanksgiving. While it's true it's been commercialised beyond belief, the idea of a day set aside so friends and family gather together to eat, chill, kick-back, watch a game or two, and by their presence together give unspoken thanks for just being together, is an awesome idea.
It's got me thinking. What am I thankful for? How about instead of just a day of Thanksgiving, I have a week or month of Thanksgiving? (Hey, I know I should be thankful everyday but as I find myself muttering and complaining loads, let me go for a week, a month of no complaints, just thanks). Just give thanks to God every single day for His goodness & kindness to me, my world's greatest son, my loved ones, my amazing friends, my health, my brains, my career, my finances, my writing - let me give thanks whether things are going as well as I would like or not.
It is easy to be thankful when our lives fall into the order that we want. Only a boor is not thankful when life is working out just fine. It however can be mega-difficult to be thankful when life throws you a curve-ball you really truly absolutely do not want. But like Russel Brand's character in the film 'Get Him to The Greek' says, "When life throws you a Jeffrey, stroke the furry wall." (Watch the film & you'll totally understand. You'll also laugh like crazy!)
So for all my American friends, as you devour heaps of Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potato, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie,vegetables, rolls, corn, etc, pause for a moment and really give thanks. Give thanks you still have a job, give thanks for good health, give thanks for your spouse and kids, give thanks for the roof over your head, give thanks for the food you have on the table, give thanks for the friends around the table. You might think your job is crappy but some-one out there is praying for a job, any job. Some-one's in hospital wishing for good health, someone's crying because they don't have a spouse, someone's heart is broken because they are infertile and can't have kids, someone's home just been repossessed or they live in fear waiting for the bank to take away their home, someone can't afford to put food on the table or worse still, has had their power cut off for non-payment so can't cook a meal, someone's moved to a new city and is finding it difficult to make friends. Someone's struggling to be thankful as they look around a table that's lost a loved one to death.
Open your home to a stranger and invite a lonely friend in to celebrate with you.
There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. If you have 9 things in your life going wrong and only one thing going right, change your mindset and heart-set. Begin to give thanks daily for the one thing that's right and say nothing about the 9 wrong things. In a very short space of time, you'll be surprised to find yourself thankful about all 10 things. Why? Because a thankful attitude has been cultivated. Soon, you'll see your challenges as blessings to make you grow, not as obstacles to destroy you.
So what am I truly overwhelmingly most thankful for? A God who loves me absolutely and totally, A God of love whose idea of judgement and mercy is to send His son Jesus to take my sins upon Himself and pay the price for my misdeeds. GOD ROCKS!
What are you thankful for?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. xx
It's got me thinking. What am I thankful for? How about instead of just a day of Thanksgiving, I have a week or month of Thanksgiving? (Hey, I know I should be thankful everyday but as I find myself muttering and complaining loads, let me go for a week, a month of no complaints, just thanks). Just give thanks to God every single day for His goodness & kindness to me, my world's greatest son, my loved ones, my amazing friends, my health, my brains, my career, my finances, my writing - let me give thanks whether things are going as well as I would like or not.
It is easy to be thankful when our lives fall into the order that we want. Only a boor is not thankful when life is working out just fine. It however can be mega-difficult to be thankful when life throws you a curve-ball you really truly absolutely do not want. But like Russel Brand's character in the film 'Get Him to The Greek' says, "When life throws you a Jeffrey, stroke the furry wall." (Watch the film & you'll totally understand. You'll also laugh like crazy!)
So for all my American friends, as you devour heaps of Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potato, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie,vegetables, rolls, corn, etc, pause for a moment and really give thanks. Give thanks you still have a job, give thanks for good health, give thanks for your spouse and kids, give thanks for the roof over your head, give thanks for the food you have on the table, give thanks for the friends around the table. You might think your job is crappy but some-one out there is praying for a job, any job. Some-one's in hospital wishing for good health, someone's crying because they don't have a spouse, someone's heart is broken because they are infertile and can't have kids, someone's home just been repossessed or they live in fear waiting for the bank to take away their home, someone can't afford to put food on the table or worse still, has had their power cut off for non-payment so can't cook a meal, someone's moved to a new city and is finding it difficult to make friends. Someone's struggling to be thankful as they look around a table that's lost a loved one to death.
Open your home to a stranger and invite a lonely friend in to celebrate with you.
There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. If you have 9 things in your life going wrong and only one thing going right, change your mindset and heart-set. Begin to give thanks daily for the one thing that's right and say nothing about the 9 wrong things. In a very short space of time, you'll be surprised to find yourself thankful about all 10 things. Why? Because a thankful attitude has been cultivated. Soon, you'll see your challenges as blessings to make you grow, not as obstacles to destroy you.
So what am I truly overwhelmingly most thankful for? A God who loves me absolutely and totally, A God of love whose idea of judgement and mercy is to send His son Jesus to take my sins upon Himself and pay the price for my misdeeds. GOD ROCKS!
What are you thankful for?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. xx
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