Giving Thanks

Just a few days until we celebrate Thanksgiving!   If you have been in a mall or watched TV lately, you might not realize that......it seems Thanksgiving has become the forgotten holiday.  Retailers have skipped right on to Christmas.  I understand that we are in a tough economy and sales need a boost, but it's sad to me that Thanksgiving is ignored.  And it's also sad to me that is has become more about football and food than about pausing to be thankful.

Over on Facebook this month many people are posting daily reasons they are thankful.  And that's a good thing!  Although I haven't been an "official" participant in that activity, I have enjoyed reading the posts.  It has been an interesting read......people are thankful for all sorts of things.  Good health.  Good coffee.  Salvation.  Freedom.  I have noted with interest (and fond memories!) the number of young mothers who give thanks for a few hours sans child to enjoy some girlfriend time or a date night with their hubby.

As I have been reading the "thankful for" posts, I have also made an interesting observation.  The number of "complaining posts" has decreased!  And before you get your knickers in a twist, I have made my fair share of "complaining posts".  We humans have a tendency to focus on the not-exactly-the-way-I-would-like-it-to-be, don't we?  I'm finding it interesting that, as people are focusing on the things they have to be grateful for, they are less focused on the things they might like to grumble about!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could do that all the time.....every day.....every season......not just for a few days in November??!!  If we would cultivate an attitude of gratitude every day!!

During my many years as a Children's Choir Director, we often had a Thanksgiving Tree in our choir room during this season.  We would sing songs about giving thanks and feeling thankful and having an attitude of gratitude.  And we would decorate our tree.  Typically, the "tree" began the season as a leafless twig stuck in a bucket.  As the month progressed, children would write on a leaf - or two or three - at each rehearsal (or draw a picture if that worked better for them) of something for which they were thankful.  By the end of the month our tree would be covered with colorful leaves.  So, we ended up with a pretty tree......and we had retrained our thinking to be thankful!

I'm thinking we may have a Thanksgiving Tree as part of our family Thanksgiving celebration this year.  If I have time (and energy!!), I may even cut leaves out of construction paper.  If not, we'll just use post-its!!

"We are so blessed by the gifts from Your hand; I just can't understand why You love us so much.  We are so blessed, we just can't find a way or the words that can say, Thank You, Lord, for Your touch."
                                                                               -Bill and Gloria Gaither