Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving Day



Every year we gather together as families in the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Our Canadian friends celebrate on a different day. I love the season with is bright colors , pies , turkey's and best of all the family fun and togetherness. My mother started a tradition that we all used to groan about...we each had to take a turn around the table saying what we were thankful for in our life. I remember quickly trying to think of something that would satisfy her request. My attempt was not a lie, but it was never really thought out in a meaningful way. I wonder if we go through the day forgetting what it really means. We all know that the ideal sometimes gets marred with unpleasant things. Family meltdowns or strains, inability of some family members to celebrate with us, stress of preparation, or money problems can leave some of us wondering what there is to be thankful about. When we remember the first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims celebrated we can get a glimpse of what the day can mean to us. They had endured a hard winter, lack of food, sickness and death in their families and community, homesickness and a myriad of other outside sources of discouragement. In the midst of that better weather, the friendship of Indians who helped them plant crops and learn what to eat and what to avoid, brought them hope for the future and restored faith in the Hand of God upon their life. It wasn't that they forgot all of their hard ache...they simply chose to see that Jesus didn't forsake them and they were thankful for the provision they received. I'm convinced that sometimes we don't see God's provision or another persons contribution because our eyes are on yesterdays pain or today's problem. Thanksgiving doesn't deny hard things in life rather it chooses to change the filter and really see the things big and small that are reasons to rejoice. This year as I look at the table and see my mother 's place empty and my eldest unable to come home I have to change the way I look at things. I chose to remember their love and the ways they've brougth joy. I may shed some tears, but they are mingled with thanks to God , family and friends for all that God has provided. Can you think of a few specific things to be thankful for around your table this Thanksgiving Day that will hold real meaning to you? I'd love to have you write about some of those things in the comment section. Simply click the envelope underneath this post and write your comment.

3 comments:

  1. Dear Pastor Ruthie,
    I am Thankful for being in the family of God and for Him sending me two of the best Pastors around. Just Old Kayline.

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  2. Dear Pastor Ruth ,
    I am thankful for being in the family of God and for Him giving me two of the best Pastors around. Just old Kayline.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Recently, I misplaced a small paperback book. After I realized it was missing, I looked everywhere that I knew to find it; however, after a prolonged search, it was still missing. My wife kept telling me that it must be somewhere in the bookcase, so I decided to reorganized it. I finally found my paperback book wadded up beneath a stack of heavy hardback books on a lower shelf.

    After I picked it up, I attempted to straighten out its pages, but they were still wrinkled. As I thought about what to do, I decided to put it BACK under a book stack, but this time my paperback book was placed in the RIGHT position. Now, the weight was being used to flatten out its pages instead. The same weight that was once destroying the paperback book was now being used to repair it. What made the difference? It was book’s position (wadded verses flat) under the stack.

    Did you know that your thoughts could become wadded under your problems? If this happens to you, your problems are not the REAL problem, but your thoughts about them are. Thoughts become wadded and twisted when we use them to do what they were not designed to do. They were designed to solve problems instead of becoming wadded and entangled under them. If you find yourself thinking upon problems instead of solutions, you are thinking irrationally. The best way to solve our problems is to change our thoughts about them. You know that you are thinking rationally when you determine how your problems are working out for your favor.

    You can straighten out your thoughts by maintaining an attitude of joy. When we keep our joy during difficult circumstances, it rewrites and straightens out that wadded and entangled mindset. Remember to keep those thoughts straight and to have a joyful mindset!

    Thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. Paul, the Apostle. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (MSG)

    ReplyDelete