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Thanksgiving

Oct9

This month, I have challenged myself to be diligent in writing in my gratitude journal. Lucy Maud Montgomery, in Anne of Green Gables, writes: ” I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” Every month brings its own kind of beauty but October seems to shout it from the rooftops. October is a month for thankfulness.

Outside my window is a tree that is exchanging its green leaves for red and orange. Eventually, the leaves will fall and the starkness of a winter tree will take its place. But not quite yet. For a few more weeks, this glorious burst of colour will be ours to enjoy.

All of us are affected by the darkness of these unprecedented days. We may wonder when and if life will return to something recognizable. October reminds us that it is especially important during uncertain times to see the beauty around us. It is especially important to reach out in gratitude to family and friends. It is especially important to make thanksgiving an action word, to be kind, forgiving and tolerant, to consider ways in which we can share beauty with others.

We all have our unique ways to express gratitude. One of mine is to write down my blessings. I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful to God for the ways in which he cares for us each day. When October passes, the nights are longer, and the leaves fall, there will still be much to enjoy. Good times are ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving and God bless you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Thanksgiving Birthday

Oct10

Since my October 8th birthday coincides with either the week of Thanksgiving or the day itself, it has always felt extra special. At a time when we consider our many blessings, I am also reminded that God gave me the gift of life. We are not random creations but chosen by God to be uniquely who we are.

On the evening that I was born, my Dad rode his bicycle to a London, Ontario hospital. Mom and Dad were not rich. Dad was attending London Bible Institute and working long shifts at Canada Bread. Now a child was entering the equation. My parents often told me that before I was born, someone gave them clothing for a baby girl. This occurred long before modern technology could determine the sex of a child before birth, but God knew precisely that a girl child was on her way.

God provided for me before I was born but didn’t stop there. Over and over, he has met my needs and those of my family. Sometimes it has taken both courage and faith to believe in what I could not yet see. God often works  outside the  box, answering prayers in ways I could not possibly imagine. Why not? He is the creator of the universe, with infinite knowledge and power.

This year, our adult children and sons-in-law gathered on Sunday to celebrate both Thanksgiving and my birthday. One of my greatest joys is having all ten of us  together. My family spoiled me, as always, with thoughtful birthday gifts, including the lovely blue rug now gracing our living room floor. When we sat down to eat, my daughter, Hannah, asked us to each name something we were thankful for. This has become a tradition, a time to reflect on the many blessings we have. All of us have so much. As my pastor says, many of the best gifts are free. We only need to recognize them.

When my Dad rode his bicycle to the hospital, he likely felt many emotions. Perhaps he wondered how a baby would impact his already hectic life.  However, Dad knew that God provided. He understood gratitude.  At Thanksgiving and my birthday, I know that God is my Jehovah Jireh, my provider, who bestows life and all that is good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

Seize the Day

Oct12

In Thornton Wilder’s three-act play, Our Town, a young woman named Emily dies in childbirth. The Stage Manager, who narrates the play,  gives Emily the choice of reliving one ordinary day of her life. Emily chooses her 12th birthday. Her expectations are shattered when she realizes that her family goes through the motions of life without really savouring what they have. Emily asks the Stage Manager: “Does anyone ever realize life while they live it…every, every minute?”

The Stage Manager  replies: “No. Saints and poets maybe…they do some.”

Saints and poets. Maybe.

There is an expression in Latin, Carpe Diem, which means “Seize the day.” The word seize implies a deliberate action on our part. What does it mean to seize the day? For some it may mean grabbing hold of every part of it, being in control, moulding the day to their  wishes.12091393_10153140078465778_5869073415636498001_o

There is also a gentler meaning. When I was a child, my grandmother taught me the verse: “This is the day which  the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118: 24). From this perspective, we recognize that all the gifts in our life  come from God. We cannot live in the past nor the future. We can only live in the present. Regardless of our circumstances, we can rejoice, because God is with us and has equipped us with many blessings. We can “realize life while [we] live it,” by by focusing on our family and friends while they talk to us, rather than being distracted by things around us. We can take the time to deeply appreciate God’s created world, in all its beauty. We can read God’s Word, the highest form of worship, as my pastor says, and focus on his plan  for our lives. Life on this earth is finite, but we can grab every opportunity to take in all the joy and love, all the simple blessings, that each day brings. We can also practice forgiveness and not dwell on offences. Life is much  too short for grudges.

This Thanksgiving, seize and enjoy your time with family and friends. Thank God for all his blessings and be encouraged by the knowledge that there are many more to come.  “Realize life…every, every minute.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Thankful Heart

Oct12

Being an October 8th baby, the Thanksgiving season has always held associations of plenty and pleasure. As a child, the birthday parties were probably the most exciting part, but now, years later, this holiday season fills with me nostalgia and joy. Yes, winter is on its way, but the leaves are gloriously festive and remind us that the cold and ice are not just yet. Summer lingers, with a trace, here and there, of warm and carefree days. Fall reminds us to focus, not on the snow and grey clouds, which are bound to come, but on what is here, present with us, golden days of harvest and bounty.

Sunflower

And so it is, with our hearts. My children, though grown, remind me that I am loved and valued, as we gather together to celebrate my birthday and Thanksgiving. What means the most to me is to see the wonderful adults they have become, each finding his or her way in life, and serving others through their own particular gifts and talents. For this, I am very grateful.

It is easy to focus on gratitude this week, with special family gatherings and our tables full of food. It may be easy to continue to focus on thanksgiving, as the stores fill with Christmas decorations, and the season of good will, of God come to earth, opens before us. However, during the sunless days of our lives, which come to us all, it can be just as  easy to forget that gratitude must be a way of living, and is as necessary to our well being as the food on our table or the water that we drink.

fall

One simple way to focus on what is right in your life is to keep a gratitude journal. Find a special notebook and write down each day one or two blessings. As you do this, you will find many reasons to be thankful, and a delightful cycle will develop. The more you are thankful for, the more blessings will come your way.

My prayer for you this Thanksgiving is that God will “give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4,NIV). May He bless you with the peace that comes from knowing that God is on your side!

Happy Thanksgiving!