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Photo by Celanth
It’s here – finally – and not a moment too soon. Thanksgiving break! I realize that most of you probably think I’m crazy since it’s only Monday and most days you would be correct, as being a teacher tends to challenge ones sanity, but it is precisely because I am a teacher which allows me to being my observation of Turkey Day a few days earlier that the rest of hard working society. Since most Thanksgiving articles will be published later on in the week, I thought that I’d get a jump on them by posting mine early enough to keep from being white noise.
My birthday wasn’t too long ago and it was quite a remarkable day in that I woke up happy and relaxed, continued to be so throughout the day and fell asleep peacefully that night. While this might not seem particularly remarkable, it was because the day created quite a stark contrast to just about every other day I had lived for the past several months. Somewhere along the line, I fell into the assumption that a day had to be made good by some event such as a celebration or alleviation of responsibilities and since those things rarely happen, each day seemed to end up in the trash heap of the month. Yet, in the midst of my birthday, I became aware that the day was really like any other day, which meant that the next day could be like it as well. And any subsequent day. I came to realize that simply changing my perspective from one expecting donuts falling from the sky or a parade in my honor to a position of thanksgiving for what I have. While the events of each day have continued much as they did before my birthday, the experience of them was fulfilling rather than burdensome.
Psalm 118 famously declares God the cause of each day, “This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Period. I’ve sung that psalm in various melodies since before the age of reason and its wisdom reveals that the day is good because it is made by God and not for whatever happens in those 24 hours. If the day is good already, anything good that happens is just a bonus; blessings from God can be understood for what they are – blessings from God – and aren’t simply tiny breaths of fresh air that keep you from losing your mind. Experiencing Thanksgiving without having maintained a daily spirit of gratitude is akin to repentance – “Ya know, hon, this is a great reminder for us to be more thankful from now on” – rather that what it actually is: a national holiday.
Allow this Thanksgiving to be a turning point so that you might fully appreciate the daily blessings that we all receive from God.
