Stop! Don’t let it get away!! It’s November 30th-four days after Thanksgiving Day 2020 (and who wouldn’t like to forget this year?) – and you have already (probably) shifted modes from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Thanksgiving buzzed by like a speeding Ferrari on a long stretch of lonely, open road. It flashed before our eyes like a strobe light then was gone. Thanksgiving is-to most people-a blip. A speed bump. A forgotten holiday. I remember as a youngster we would make our way to church on Thanksgiving Day morning. The whole family. We would sing gratitude songs. The pastor would speak. We would pray. Then go home while mom would finish preparing our meal and we waited for Grandma and Grandad to come over. It was a fun time.
We savored the day. We ate. We slowed down. We ate. We sat at a big table…all 7 of us. We ate. We laughed. We ate. We watched NO football on our black and white TV. And did I say we ate?
No more. Today is a blip between Halloween and Christmas. It is not commercialized like the other two. What are they going to hype? Pilgrim outfits? Turkey feet? A fake neck comb? Nope. Stores are stocking Christmas stuff as they are taking down the Halloween candy and costumes off the shelves. No space empty there for long.
So before you move on: did you take time for counting your blessings? More importantly: are you still counting them? While shelves may change, our hearts should not.
“Father, help me to live and breathe a heart of gratitude and not let it go the way of Thanksgiving Day.”
If this year has taught me anything.. that’s exactly it… to always count my blessings.. if such a thing were even possible.. because the blessings in this life.. are as many as the stars in the sky!
You are absolutely right Ed. No way to count them all.
We all need to be reminded that giving thanks is a year-round practice. I love cultivating a Gratitude Attitude.
Enjoyed Sunday’s sermon, too, Bill!
Blessings!
I agree Martha. I have to remind myself that on a daily basis. Thanks for the kind words about the sermon.