UNUSUAL THINGS FOR WHICH TO BE THANKFUL
This week many of us will gather with family and friends and enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving feast. We will talk and laugh and reminisce and swap stories. We will watch football. But will we actually give thanks beyond the perfunctory "blessing" before we eat? How many of us get so sidetracked by the excitement of the day that we forget what it is all about (not that thanksgiving really is a day or can [or should be] limited to a single day of the year)?
Paul, the great apostle, wrote: "…giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:20). Paul, did you say all things? Yes, that is what the apostle said.
Here are some unusual things (not original with me) that we should be thankful for:
* Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
* Be thankful when you don't know. It gives you the opportunity to learn.
* Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. (Cf. James 1:2-3).
* Be thankful for limitations. They give opportunities for improvement.
* Be thankful for a new challenge. It will build strength and character.
* Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
* Be thankful when you are weary. It means you've made a difference.
* Be thankful for the mess after a party (or Thanksgiving dinner). It means you have friends and family.
* Be thankful for the taxes you pay. It means you are employed.
* Be thankful for the clothes that fit a little snug. It means you have plenty to eat.
* Be thankful for a shadow that watches you work. It means you are out in the sunshine.
* Be thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing. It means you have a house.
* Be thankful for the spot you find at the far end of the parking lot. It means that you are capable of walking. (Have you ever noticed that those of us who need the exercise the most, always look for a parking place nearest the entrance?)
* Be thankful for all the complaining you hear about our government. It means that we have freedom of speech.
* Be thankful for a big heating bill. It means you are warm.
* Be thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing. It means your loved ones are near.
* Be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours. It means that you are alive.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who also can be thankful for the setbacks.
Hugh Fulford
November 23, 2010
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