Thanksgiving

As you all know, it's November.  I love this time of year.  The weather begins to turn (at least it does in Texas) as does my mind to thoughts of the holidays.  I think they will be even more special and memorable this year for a couple of reasons.  First, I now live within half an hour of my mom, dad, brothers, grandmother, and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.  Second, our daughter will celebrate her first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.  And third, my husband and I will celebrate five wonderful years together in December.  I can't believe how time has passed.  For the first time in my adult life, I will be hosting Thanksgiving for my parents and brothers at my house.  I'm so excited.  In fact, I just ordered my Turkey; it's organic. 

For most Americans, November is the month out of the year when we reflect on what we are thankful for.  Perhaps most people only "reflect" on Thanksgiving.  I think it's pretty accurate to say that many Americans no doubt share something they are thankful for, before diving into a plate of turkey, gorging themselves on goodies, and then passing out on the couch before a college football game.  Call me crazy, but I just don't think that kind of behavior accurately captures the significance of the holiday.  I think if we spent more time truly reflecting on how much we have, we'd be better off for it.  I'll never forget my time in China. I saw the poorest of the poor there, and suddenly, my meager $700 a month salary seemed like a king's ransom.

The truth is, most people, and especially most Americans, just don't understand how much they have.  Not only are we walking around in ignorance, but we are selfish too.  As a culture, we are always scheming on how to buy the latest T.V., IPOD, or other gadget that will make us "happy," at least for a little while.  While I believe there is nothing wrong with these things in and of themselves, if we desire to have stuff above all else, we will stumble through life unfulfilled. 

So, in the spirit of being thankful, I wanted to share with you just a small sampling of how I've been blessed.  Here we go!  I'm thankful for: my health, my husband, my daughter, her health, my house, my family (parents, brothers, etc...), my cats, food in my refrigerator, my husband's job, our church, our new friends, our friends in Kansas City, my husband's family, clothes that are warm, a/c and heating in our house, money to pay our bills, money to give to people in need, the opportunity to take a vacation in a couple of weeks, my country, my education, freedom of religion, a nice neighborhood to live in, the beautiful weather today, a good nights' sleep last night (mostly), my Bible, the fact that I'm a part of the family of God, the ability to read/write...There is more, let me assure you.  I just don't want this entry to be pages long. 

What are you thankful for?  If you haven't recently written down all the ways in which you've been blessed, I would strongly encourage you to do so.  Thanksgiving isn't just a state of mind, it's a lifestyle to which we (as believers in Christ) have been called.  Are you answering the call today?