I am so very grateful this very moment,
to have a roof over my head,
food to eat, clean clothes to wear,
a warm bed to sleep in,
drinkable running water, electricity…
We take so much for granted,
when there is so much to be grateful for.
Unknown
In November, our minds turn to gratitude because Thanksgiving is just around the corner. In addition to the turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, we are reminded to give thanks and to remember to be thankful for what we have in life.
I have a friend who is a Presbyterian pastor in Iowa. When she was newly ordained as a pastor, she remembers that every time she went home for a family function, she was asked to say grace, just because she was a pastor. It didn’t take long before she got tired of always being the one who had to say grace, so she decided to do something about it. When she went home for Thanksgiving that year, she was once again asked to pray. So she did… for all the food, each dish individually by name… for each and every person around the table by name… for each relative that was not there… for the dogs and cats in the family, each by name… for the doors and windows and ceiling… for the vehicles that brought each family member to the Thanksgiving celebration… for the chandelier overhead and the pretty wall paper on the wall… for the houseplants and the harvest from the garden…. You get the idea. Her prayer went on and on and on.
She made her point, and I don’t know if she was ever asked to say grace at a family function again. However, she also wasn’t wrong. As we look around our homes, our families, our friends, our lives we have a lot to be thankful for. Many of these things we overlook. Many of the people we take for granted.
We need to stop and take note of all the blessings that surround us, not just at Thanksgiving but always. In October my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. During those 30 years we have had ups and downs like all people. We have had times of plenty and times of want. It is those times of want that have taught us the most. We really appreciate the fact that we have food in the house, not just the ability to go out to eat. We really appreciate the jobs we have had which have helped us to get through the tough times. We really appreciate the family and friends who have been supportive, especially the ones to whom we could tell the truth about what was going on in our lives. We really appreciate the medical care we have received when we’ve needed it. We really appreciate the ability to simply go for a walk together and spend time surrounded by God’s beauty.
I am happy to have the month of November and the celebration of Thanksgiving to remind us of our blessings. But I also hope that we pause periodically all year long to do that, also.Thanksgiving blessings to you all!
Pastor Beth
920-562-2853
pastorbmacha@yahoo.com
