Thanksgiving: Giving Thanks for Our Blessings

It's a holiday that comes just once a year. Often what comes to mind is turkey and all of the delicious food that goes with it, the scrumptious deserts, and the feeling afterwards of having eaten too much and wishing we hadn't. Somewhere in the day, we might manage to remember the things we're thankful for.

It's a good thing to thank God for what He's given us. It's a good thing to be appreciative of all the blessings He's bestowed upon us. But it's terrible that we seem to forget this throughout the year, and only set aside one day out of the year to thank Him. And all that 'thanking' in the midst of stuffing ourselves til we are miserable!

Everywhere you go, you'll probably hear someone somewhere griping and complaining about something. It's too hot, the sun's too bright, their clothes don't look or fit right, they want a new car, they hate their job, the food is yucky, the paint color is all wrong, the kids are too loud, their spouse just isn't as loving as they used to be, etc. It's like nothing is right, and everything's all wrong. What's wrong with this picture?

Rather than complain and mumble about our dislikes, when's the last time we thanked God for giving us what He has, regardless of how we felt about whatever it was? We are so blessed that it's almost a shame, especially when those so blessed seem to never see those blessings.

For the parents that complain about the kids always making noise, try telling that to the Mom that lost her eight year old daughter to cancer last year, or the deaf parents who have never had the precious gift of hearing their children scream and holler. For the one who complains about their clothes aren't fitting anymore or aren't the right 'match', try telling that to people wearing rags because that's the best they've got to wear. To the one's complaining of the sun in their eyes, have a chat with the blind neighbor who's never seen the lovely bright, yellow sun. For the one who can't stop griping at the sales clerk for not getting the paint shade 'just right', take a walk down Main Street and talk to the homeless who have no homes to paint. For the ones that can never stop griping about the meals prepared and laid before them, try going just one day without a meal and walk in the shoes of those that goes days without eating in other countries. When you hate your job, offer it to the man that can't feed his family or make his house payments, and see how much he loves it.

We are truly a blessed nation. We have more food than we can possibly need everyday, to the point that many of us are overweight. Thank you God for the food on our tables! We have homes, nice and warm when it's cold outside. Thank you God for the fine homes we have! We have clothes on our backs and shoes on our feet. Thank you God for the warm clothes and shoes!

For those of us that have all or most of our body parts working, thank you God for allowing us to be able to hear, see, smell, taste, walk, run, move, roll over, breathe, think, feel. Never think that you're so bad off that it can't be worse, because it can.

We should thank God for our loved ones, for our spouses, kids, parents, grandparents, in-laws, ex-in-laws, and most of all, for dear friends. Never take anyone for granted. Marriages sadly don't last anymore, and no one lives forever in this life. Cherish them all while you can, and thank God for giving them to you for a while.

When this Thanksgiving holiday is over and gone, don't wait for another year to pass to give thanks to God for all the blessings He's given you. Thank Him for that nice slice of pie that you don't really need, or for that new pair of shoes that you just had to have to match that new dress, or for the promotion that someone got over you.

Thanksgiving is a time for celebration and to remember all that we are thankful for. But don't let it be the only time you remember to thank God for everything. Let it be a remembrance of having done so throughout the year.