In the Spirit of Thanksgiving
Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. Families and friends gather together and enjoy one another. It's a day of conversations, food, entertainment - a day to get away from the busyness of the world and to just be.
If we really think about it, there is so much to be thankful for. Thankful for the gift to see another day. The gift of our family and friends. Our blessings. The gift of forgiveness and reconciliation. And, yes, even thankful for the gift of our struggles. It is easy to see God's hands in the good things and the joys, but sometimes it is hard to see God amidst the difficulties. However, those are the times when God is closest to us. Jesus suffered. He felt alone and abandoned on the Cross. Yet, when He looked up, He must have remembered His Father will never leave Him. And, when He looked down and saw His Mother, He must have been comforted. So, in the times of struggle and difficulty, let us always remember that Jesus is with you and allow Him to struggle and journey with you, for He wants nothing more. This Thanksgiving, let us thank God for our struggles, for it is amidst these struggles that we come to know the nearness of the Father and from these struggles we learn the most valuable lessons. So, let us be thankful for the gift of our crosses and struggles. And if we are struggling at this time, let us, like Jesus, look up to find the Father's presence, look down to see Mary standing there, and to look inside our hearts and see Jesus.
On another note, giving thanks is one of the most basic things we ought to do. From when we were little children, we were taught to say "Please" and "Thank You." Giving thanks is an expression of love, and expression of communion. The Eucharist means "thanksgiving." The ability to give is such a wonderful gift. We are told in the Acts of the Apostles that we are "more blessed to give than to receive" (20:35). How true that is. The big smile or surprised expression on another's face. When we give, we receive much more. When we give, we love. And there is no greater feeling than that of (1) to be loved and (2) to be able to love. I love seeing the faces of my family and friends when they open up gifts on Christmas Day or other celebratory occasions. Sometimes they are surprised they got a gift and sometimes they are surprised at the gift they received. But, the older you get, I think the deeper feeling is that of gratitude, feeling thankful that the other thought about you. Hence, "it is the thought that counts" takes on a whole new meaning.
This Thanksgiving, as we sit around the table, let us look look up and thank the Father for the blessings He has bestowed upon us, look to our right and left and thank our loved ones for the gift of their love, and to look down, bowing our heads in prayer and thank those who have gone before us.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
If we really think about it, there is so much to be thankful for. Thankful for the gift to see another day. The gift of our family and friends. Our blessings. The gift of forgiveness and reconciliation. And, yes, even thankful for the gift of our struggles. It is easy to see God's hands in the good things and the joys, but sometimes it is hard to see God amidst the difficulties. However, those are the times when God is closest to us. Jesus suffered. He felt alone and abandoned on the Cross. Yet, when He looked up, He must have remembered His Father will never leave Him. And, when He looked down and saw His Mother, He must have been comforted. So, in the times of struggle and difficulty, let us always remember that Jesus is with you and allow Him to struggle and journey with you, for He wants nothing more. This Thanksgiving, let us thank God for our struggles, for it is amidst these struggles that we come to know the nearness of the Father and from these struggles we learn the most valuable lessons. So, let us be thankful for the gift of our crosses and struggles. And if we are struggling at this time, let us, like Jesus, look up to find the Father's presence, look down to see Mary standing there, and to look inside our hearts and see Jesus.
On another note, giving thanks is one of the most basic things we ought to do. From when we were little children, we were taught to say "Please" and "Thank You." Giving thanks is an expression of love, and expression of communion. The Eucharist means "thanksgiving." The ability to give is such a wonderful gift. We are told in the Acts of the Apostles that we are "more blessed to give than to receive" (20:35). How true that is. The big smile or surprised expression on another's face. When we give, we receive much more. When we give, we love. And there is no greater feeling than that of (1) to be loved and (2) to be able to love. I love seeing the faces of my family and friends when they open up gifts on Christmas Day or other celebratory occasions. Sometimes they are surprised they got a gift and sometimes they are surprised at the gift they received. But, the older you get, I think the deeper feeling is that of gratitude, feeling thankful that the other thought about you. Hence, "it is the thought that counts" takes on a whole new meaning.
This Thanksgiving, as we sit around the table, let us look look up and thank the Father for the blessings He has bestowed upon us, look to our right and left and thank our loved ones for the gift of their love, and to look down, bowing our heads in prayer and thank those who have gone before us.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
 |
| from www.hmumc.org |
Comments
Post a Comment