Whether you are alone today....or surrounded by 100 people....we ALL have much to be thankful for. We live in the United State of America. If you prefer being elsewhere, nobody is preventing you from leaving---or going to your desired destination. In many other countries on this planet we share, there is no ability to freely come and go as we please. In those places, freedom IS just another word for nothing left to lose (as Janis Joplin once so aptly put it). Are you free today? If you are, you have much to be thankful for....
Are you a healthy enough person right now and in this moment? A beloved pastor from Ypsilanti died this morning from Covid. He was only in his mid 50's. Did he or his wife and family ever imagine he would literally die on Thanksgiving day during their last Thanksgiving meal? Highly doubtful. When you have your health, you have much to be thankful for.
Is there someone in your life that you would like to reconcile with as you think about him/her/them today? No time like the present to pick up the telephone and call. Someone has to practice humility; it might as well be you if you are reading this post right now. Holding on to your anger, resentment, and bitterness is like drinking poison with the intention of your enemy dying as a result. When you are able and capable of mending an otherwise estranged relationship, you have much to be thankful for.
Do you have a roof over your head, food in your pantry, and clothes in your closet? If so, you are blessed! It is very challenging to live as a nomad without a home of one's own. Nomadsland is one of the great movies you may want to watch this weekend to remind yourself of what others struggle with out on the open road day-in and day-out. When you have your own place to call "My home!", you have much to be thankful for.
On this Thanksgiving Day, my hope and prayer is that every one of us everywhere will stop and think about all that we have been blessed with, in spite of our present circumstances that challenge us. Nobody leads a perfect life, because we are all imperfect people. When we can adopt the proverbial attitude of genuine gratitude, we will see our lives change for the better from the inside out. Getting better and being better is always an inside out job anway.
Happy Thanksgiving. Humility always wins.
Until next post...