Thanks Giving
Basil Carpenter states: “Thank God every day when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.”
The wisdom that he speaks resonates when we wish to be the recipients of thankfulness. When we need an acknowledgement that the work we have been doing has not been in vain – and better yet is appreciated as people step forward into life. At the same time we need to acknowledge the things that people do for us that act as the grace and mercy of God to make our lives whole and significant. Too often we look at the difficulties we face and see only issues instead of the possibilities. Perhaps our hearts need to be retuned to the symphony of heaven so that we can again sing with power the promises and possibilities of God among us.
Anne Frank suffered greatly and yet she shared: “I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy."
We all have difficulty and stress, but we are also asked to let go of them so that we can instead focus on the things that make life a more memorable and enjoyable experience. There are times when we should recall that sometimes our moments of despair and desperation actually are the only reasons we can savor the success and suspense of greatness. It is only through the cadence, rhythm and cycle of life that brings both joy and
sorrow that we will ever be able to appreciate the things that we have and become.
The most powerful aspect of being thankful however is in the way that it transforms our attitude in life. As Melody Beattie stated: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
This week will you embrace a real Thanksgiving or will you have just overeat on a holiday that is just the marker for the Christmas Shopping Season? My prayer is that you find real thanks and let it impact the way you live every day the rest of your life.
Blessings, Pastor Greg
The wisdom that he speaks resonates when we wish to be the recipients of thankfulness. When we need an acknowledgement that the work we have been doing has not been in vain – and better yet is appreciated as people step forward into life. At the same time we need to acknowledge the things that people do for us that act as the grace and mercy of God to make our lives whole and significant. Too often we look at the difficulties we face and see only issues instead of the possibilities. Perhaps our hearts need to be retuned to the symphony of heaven so that we can again sing with power the promises and possibilities of God among us.
Anne Frank suffered greatly and yet she shared: “I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy."
We all have difficulty and stress, but we are also asked to let go of them so that we can instead focus on the things that make life a more memorable and enjoyable experience. There are times when we should recall that sometimes our moments of despair and desperation actually are the only reasons we can savor the success and suspense of greatness. It is only through the cadence, rhythm and cycle of life that brings both joy and
sorrow that we will ever be able to appreciate the things that we have and become.
The most powerful aspect of being thankful however is in the way that it transforms our attitude in life. As Melody Beattie stated: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
This week will you embrace a real Thanksgiving or will you have just overeat on a holiday that is just the marker for the Christmas Shopping Season? My prayer is that you find real thanks and let it impact the way you live every day the rest of your life.
Blessings, Pastor Greg
posted by Covenant of the Cross at
9:38 AM
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