Yikes! The holidays are upon us
once again.
Without a doubt the weirdest
thing about living in the desert is the lack of seasonal change in the
environment. Fall is just like summer: it’s hot; the leaves on the trees don’t
change color, or fall from the trees; the plants all continue to flower, the critters
are still skittering about and everybody in Tucson is wearing shorts well into
November.
Because of the lack of seasonal
change, I have remained completely oblivious of the upcoming holiday until
recently. My first clue to the changing season came when turkeys and
cranberries started showing up in the grocery stores. It actually freaked me out; at first I
couldn’t figure why the stores were suddenly being overrun with frozen turkeys
and then I remembered that I needed to buy one!
It’s a little odd that I almost
forgot about Thanksgiving this year because it’s one of my favorite times of
year. I love that Thanksgiving is still all about gratitude, God and sharing a
really great meal with family and friends. Mercifully, the American marketing
machine has not figured out a way to turn Thanksgiving into a gift-giving
occasion. I also find it delightfully ironic that many Americans who don’t even
believe in God celebrate a day that was set-aside for the sole purpose of
showing our thankfulness to the Almighty. God is God and He ends up getting
glory one way or the other!
As I begin this week of
Thanksgiving I’m looking to be intentional about showing my thankfulness and so
I thought I would share with all of you some of the things I am most grateful
for. I’m hoping that gratitude is infectious and that my list will spark a
desire in you to create a list of your own.
First of all, I am grateful for
change. I know that is an odd thing to be grateful for but I am. Change is by
its very nature challenging but it is God’s way of keeping us aware and
prayerful. Change creates opportunities for growth and development that would
never come about if we simply stuck with the status quo.
I am grateful that God has
provided for our family in such a way that I worry about eating too much as
opposed to too little. In a world where 925
million people are going hungry everyday I am thankful for a full belly and
jeans that are just a little more snug than I would like.
I am incredibly grateful for the
female friends and relatives that God has placed in my life. The older I get
the more I appreciate the unique bond that women have with one another. I am
especially grateful for the women who have supported me through this move to
Arizona. I don’t know what I would have done without their love and
encouragement.
I am grateful to live in a
country where I am able to live out what I believe and where we are all still free
to say what we want to say. There have been many moments this past election
year when I have desperately wished that people would choose a kinder tone and
a gentler approach when they said what they said but I am still grateful that
we all have the right to voice our opinions.
And lastly, I am grateful for
family, my biological family as well the collection of kids and friends that
have become a part of our family through the years. All of the changes we have
made this year make me even more appreciative of the stability and joy that
family brings into life. My husband is truly my best friend and closest
confidante and I am fortunate that my children have become the type of people I
would choose to have as friends; the camaraderie they share with one another
warms my heart; hearing the three of them laugh together is one of the greatest
pleasures I have in life.
Thanksgiving is about
thankfulness, not just feasting (although the feasting is fun!). Thankfulness
is also at the heart of any true worship experience, because worship is our
response to God’s character and activity in our lives (Thanks, Pastor Jerry!).
My prayer for each one of us as we enter this holiday season is that
thankfulness will fill our hearts and praise will be on our lips as we enjoy
the blessings and grace that God has poured out on each one of us.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let
us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe~ Hebrews
12:28
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