Thanksgiving Revisited

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” (1 Chronicles 16:8)

It’s been nearly a week since Thanksgiving. The leftover turkey, spuds and dressing are gone. Macy’s has paraded and the football games are mere historical footnotes. I hope you're still thankful. An attitude of gratitude buoys the soul. It’s easy to feel blessing when the stomach is full, the home fires stoked and the day off relaxed. It's when you have want, fear or stress that thankfulness wanes.

That’s why I waited a week to share my gratitude and give glory to God. So here's my list:

God, I simply thank you for sunrises. I can’t comprehend it, but count on a new day every day. That’s what makes life fresh. A day without a dawn would be dark.

God, I am grateful for resurrection. It’s a promise worth living for. Death no longer carries a sting for me. You cause dead dreams to live. You rapture despairing thoughts to hope. You salvage my disappointments and raise them to joy.

God, I am thankful for a heartbeat. It’s an unexplainable mystery how a muscle so complex could evolve to beat beyond my will for whatever lifetime I possess. This pounding in my chest points to a Creator and it cannot be silenced. Every thump thunders Your Name.

God, I’m thankful for my children. It’s amazing to ponder how twenty years can slip into the horizon as my kids grow from babes to college-bound adults. I am helpless against time’s march but am blessed when I see You alive in their speech, values and behavior.

God, I’m most grateful for my soul mate and life partner. In 24 years of marriage we have seen it all, from storms of trial to showers of blessing. Neither of us know what the future holds, but we know You hold that future and that’s all that matters.

On a smaller scale I’m thankful for many less insignificant stuff. Lasagna. Rainbow trout. My cat and dogs. Well-worn shoes. Good friends. Brother and sisters. Mom and Dad and stepdad. Vanilla shakes. Christmas Eve. Spring snows. Fall colors. Baseball. The Cross. A good joke. George Fox University. Kentucky Christian University. Saint Louis Christian College. Boise Bible College. Cincinnati Christian University. Nebraska Christian College. My grandmother’s Bible. The smell of fresh-cut grass. A good book. Memories of home. Montana. A deer in a meadow. A bird on the wing. A friend on the phone. Air-conditioning. GPS. Sweet Tennessee tea. Memphis BBQ. California In 'N Out Burgers, Chick-Fil-A, my students. Apple computers. Toastmasters, Int'l. A rocking chair. Southern rock. Chicago blues. Western swing.

And you, for reading this far and giving me hope.


NOTABLE QUOTABLES ON THANKFULNESS:

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. (Cicero)

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. (Albert Schweitzer)

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. (Oprah Winfrey)

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. (Epictetus)

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. (Meister Eckhardt)


Father, only two words today: Thank YOU!