Being Thankful

As we embark on probably my favorite holiday; Thanksgiving. I believe that it is necessary to slow down, and pen a list of what I am truly thankful for. From a spiritual standpoint, I believe that too often we focus on the areas of our lives that need to be filled, and healed, missing out on the disguised blessings in the midst of doing life.

Nearly a week ago, my wife and I visited with friends of ours that’s daughter suffered a stroke at the young age of twenty. Naturally, this was unexpected in every since of the word, and most definitely something that wasn’t even close to being on their radar, but it happened. I remember thinking to myself – wow. I too have a college age son, and I couldn’t imagine what they were going through.

The amazing thing was the peace in the demeanor of our friend as she spoke with us at the hospital, and how she chose to see all of the positive aspects of what this unforeseen “tragedy” had brought with it.

Too often, I think we miss recognizing what really is important, and the blessings that each of us are afforded.

Blessings are different for all of us, and they can change from time to time based on where we are at and what we need in our life at that moment. When I was going through my divorce nearly fifteen years ago, I needed work and close friends to occupy my time in order to not let loneliness creep in to my life, and both were huge blessings at that juncture in my life in order to help me get through it.

Apart from the larger blessings of relationships, family, and friends – there too are smaller blessings. I remember times in my life when I was in college while married with a son wondering how close we were cutting our bills and paying the lease on the apartment. Lining up the bills and sorting out which ones we were going to be able to pay at this time, and which ones we weren’t, but I survived.

Several years ago my wife had a major medical procedure done, because of family history, and a disease that had ravished her family. I remember literally being sick to my stomach worried about the whole thing. Fortunately – everything turned out fine, but it was a long and difficult healing process for her.

Life tests us on many different levels, and sometimes we fall hard because of our stubborn, selfish human nature. But we are on a journey, and hopefully our lives aren’t defined by one or two things – but instead each of the blessings in which we hold dear.

Stuff will fade, rust, rot, or become obsolete – but it is the unreplaceable blessings that we can hold close to us and be thankful for.

Instead of man, I miss my grandmother - I should rejoice about all of the conversations that we had on a multitude of subjects getting to know her as a person, and understand what shaped her life perspective. Many people don’t get this fantastic opportunity.

Or,

I can’t believe I got laid off from the bank – I was loyal; they should’ve found a space for me when they were restructuring to… - I am glad that through this difficult time of trying to understand what my next steps are to be in life that we have a good savings account and my wife has a stable job.

You see, every day we have a choice. A choice to see the blessing, or a chance to dwell in life’s challenges, but don’t think that our choice is benign, because our nature reflects how we are feeling and we are modeling a spirt of joy and thanksgiving or a spirit of disdain and depression.

So what are you thankful for? Family, Friends, a Job, a clean bill of health, or maybe getting to spend time with your love ones one last time, because you realize that this may be the last holiday season you get to spend with them because of a deteriorating health prognosis.

Maybe today – you are literally thankful for the days “daily bread”, or a shelter in which you can keep warm in, but aren’t sure of what your life may present tomorrow – know that you too are worthy, and too have something to be thankful for.

Pen a list of things that you consider blessings, and find a couple minutes every day to focus on that – you will be amazed at the change that it can spring upon your life as it has mine.

Wishing you many blessings on life’s journey.