Thanksgiving

There is so much rhetoric on the origins of the American Thanksgiving, that I began to wonder if we should continue to celebrate it, but then I had an epiphany. What if we just took a day to be thankful for what we have and not grouse about what we do not have. That would be a day in which our attitudes would begin to change and maybe we could influence others to grateful.

Trials. The book of James tells us to be joyful when we have trials because they make us stronger. It’s difficult to be thankful when we have trials in life, but that is exactly when we need to be thankful. As I look back on my past, I see that the experiences that were not so pleasant were the exact experiences that created change and forced me to grow as a person. I learned from my failures and from the experiences that others may have brought upon me forced me to learn more about myself and how to relate with others better.

Family. Living in Los Angeles, the homeless people surround us in every pocket of the city. Many of them have no physical family members. I am grateful that I have a family that has been there for me when I have failed. For people whose blood family is not close physically or emotionally, I am grateful for my church family that has grown throughout my lifetime and is open for more coming into our family.

Friends. As evil as people claim social media to be, it has connected me to old friends and even has created some new friendships. I am thankful for all my friendships. I am thankful for the friends that have been with me throughout the years and have shared in my crazy antics in youth ministry, and I am thankful for the new friends with whom we can share new memories.

Fun. I am thankful that I can have fun and enjoy many of the beauties in this life, whether they are in nature or created by amazing artisans. I am thankful for places to hang like coffee shops and bookstores that allow me to continue to learn about the wonders of the world.

Jesus. I am mostly thankful for Jesus who sacrificed his life for me when I did not deserve it at all. I am thankful that he loves me no matter what I do or say. He loves me and gives me peace through the turbulent times. He doesn’t take the troubles away, but he leads me through them and allows me to learn from them.

Being thankful for what we have in life is so much better than complaining and yelling about how horrible life is and all the political wrongs in the world. I wish we could celebrate Thanksgiving every day. I wish we would be more grateful for what we have and not worry about what we don’t have. It’s day where we feast. It’s a day where we spend time with loved ones. It’s a day where we can serve, but most importantly, it’s a day where we can sit and begin to list the experiences and items in life for which we are thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!