Thursday, November 28, 2019

thanksgiving 2019

The Feast of Thanksgiving is literally a holiday of gratitude. It is a time dedicated to looking to the heavens and giving thanks and praise to the God who mysteriously provides. 
Gratitude. 

It is, I believe, a proof of creation that gratitude is actually something which benefits a human. Being thankful makes us physically and emotionally healthier. Gratitude is the acknowledgement that we are not the recipients of a blind process or accident. One cannot be grateful for something which was not given; we might be happy about it, or able to see we benefited from it---but good luck is not a gift. Good Luck is just an accident that worked out for our benefit.

If there is a Gift Giver, if life is somehow more than a series of blind, mechanistic events which are uncaring and unintentional, then gratitude does make sense. Thanks for what you have given me makes sense if it is actually addressed to a Someone.  

How then to nurture a gratitude attitude? If you are like me, you were taught to be thankful in a legalistic way. By this I mean there is a rule, often expressed in terms similar to these. Upon receipt of something my mom would say, "What do you say?" The prompt was a reminder that the expectation was to say "thank you." While this is a good thing and no doubt part of the learning process, I wonder if it was actually helpful. You see, comliance with an outward expectation is not always the best way to shape the heart. 

Perhaps we would do better to reflect upon the reaction to a gift. How does it feel to be cared about or singled out for a blessing? Do you recognize a grace? Do you experience the joy of an undeserved kindness? Do you understand that you are not entitled to everything you might want?

Perhaps inviting children to reflect on what is happening within them would be more to the point? Perhaps looking heavenward and reflecting upon the Invisible Giver would make saying thank you more natural. 

Fear and Doubt are constantly reminding us that bad things happen as well, and that todays good fortune will be overturned by less agreeable times. Gratitude and Trust, however, also have a voice. They say, even in the worst times, there is much to be thankful for. They say, even in the worst times, there is a gracious love which awaits us all. They say, I believe, so I thank.

Happy Thanksgiving   

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