Being Thankful Changes Everything

 We have so much information at our disposal, and yet we continue to choose embellished stories so we can explain a narrative. When the pilgrims and Native Americans had a meal together, it did not denote the first Thanksgiving. That event became visible because of an editor of a magazine who wrote about it to help boost the holiday of Thanksgiving.

Abraham Lincoln wanted his troops to have gratefulness and reflect on the good that God had done in their lives. So, he declared the last Thursday of November to be a day of giving God thanks, Thanksgiving. Gratefulness requires us to reflect. Gratefulness brings us into a state of peace and reminds us of our purpose in life. Maybe Lincoln knew that more than the editor who wanted to sell the magazines.

Taking the time to reflect on the good in our lives may require us to turn off the noise around us. Sometimes, social media can be part of that noise. With social media, we get caught up in what we don’t have, that we may not always see the beautiful things God does in our lives every single day.  

To see the good things in life, I have found that I must take the time to reflect. Thanksgiving gives us a day to reflect on what we have and not compare ourselves to others. God created each of us with uniqueness. With all the preparations that we must do, sometimes we let busyness get in our way of being grateful. I have found that taking the time to be grateful gives me peace and content in my life more than trying to please others with my busyness.

Whenever I cook or bake, I am reminded of all the good things God gives me. I have the food, the beautiful appliances, and tools to create meals that give me satisfaction with my hunger, and when I focus, it’s tasty too! With that thankfulness, I don’t become angry over things I cannot change.

Society does not want us to be grateful. See, when you become grateful, your anger dissipates. When you become grateful, you begin to manage and control your emotions and responses to those who may attack you. Society wants to control and manage you. They want you to be angry so you will not be rational. Thankfulness makes you rational.

This Thanksgiving, find a few minutes to be by yourself, reflect on your life, look around your home, and begin to thank God for what He has given you. Make a list. Put it in a place that you can see and remember it every day. Life has its tumbles, but God has given you many great things, that far outweigh the tumbles.

When we focus on what we have and not what others have, we become content. Once we have contentment, we can focus on how to continue to move forward in life and not be blinded by the obstacles in our way. We can leap over the obstacles or push them out of the way when we see how we have done it in our past.

The Bible mentions thankfulness over 365 times. Being grateful for one thing each day of the year will build in us a strength that no one can tear down. So, go, enjoy the day of Thanksgiving. Have a feast with delicious food and count your many blessings and see what God has done.