Giving Thanks

Well, tomorrow's Thanksgiving. This holiday is so often looked over in anticipation of Christmas; however, in our family, we make sure that we celebrate Thanksgiving and pay it due attention. It's my mom's favorite holiday, and as the years have passed I've come to really understand what it's about. It's not having a really good meal with the free pass of eating as much as you can and it being socially acceptable. It's about giving thanks for all the blessings we have.

Sometimes, though, there doesn't seem to be much that you have to be thankful for. After all, your parents could be losing their jobs or going through a divorce; you could have just broken up with your boy/girlfriend; you could've failed that really important test on Friday; you could have just had a really sucky day where everything went wrong.

But let's think about the positives now. I'm assuming that you're reading this blog; thus, that means a number of things you can be thankful for.

Firstly, you can read. That's something that not everyone around the world can do. You've successfully passed through the fundamentals of elementary school and can decipher those markings that are plastered everywhere in society. Also, you must have Internet access. That's a beautiful thing right there. Your eyes must be working to be able to read this, and that's an ability that a lot of other people don't have. Think about being blind - think about all the activities you do that require eyesight. Are you a voracious reader? Do you write? Just think about trying to do homework without being able to read the text like you do now.

While we're on the subject of sight, think about your other senses:
Hearing - do you love listening to a certain band or style of music? Be thankful you can enjoy their music!
Taste - what's your favorite food? You're able to savor those flavors!
Touch - babies have died from lack of human touch in their early stages. You can feel when something hurts, so you can tend to it and not be completely unaware of a festering wound.
Smell - you can smell smoke from a fire, you can tell when the milk has gone sour, and you can enjoy the wonderful odor of chocolate chip cookies!

And speaking of cookies...do you have food? Is your refrigerator stocked up? Are you noshing on a snack now as you're reading this? That's certainly something to be thankful for! Think of all the people out there who don't have a full belly, or the knowledge that they'll be able to have another meal.

Think about those people - the homeless ones, the ones you see on the streets with the cardboard signs, asking for food or money. Look around you - are you in a house, an apartment, some other form of shelter that keeps you safe and warm? That's something to be very thankful for! Winter's here; you're not stuck outside, freezing, with a bunch of rags to cover you. You have the safety of your home to come to after a long day at school.

If you have a faith, a relationship with Jesus Christ - that is something major to be thankful for. Think of all that Christ went through so that you could have the chance to know our creator on a one-on-one, personal, loving relationship. Also, you have the promise of spending eternity not in Hell, a burning pit of torment, but Heaven, the ultimate place where "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." (Revelations 21:4)  Doesn't that sound awesomely amazing? 


So tomorrow, if you have trouble thinking about what there is to be thankful for, step back for a moment. Really think about all the things you can do or that you possess, even the simplest things. 


And have a happy Thanksgiving!