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Lindy wrote this to share with our Fellowship . I was so impacted by it that I wanted to share it with you...
Rich
Thanksgiving.
A national holiday.
A day off.
A delicious feast – that I work on for days and that is devoured in less than an hour.
Thanksgiving.
Kids running around with pilgrim hats and Indian headbands.
Candles lit with pumpkin spice and apple pie scents.
Pies in the oven and turkeys defrosting.
Airports crowded, long lines, delayed flights. Freeways bumper to bumper as cars inch along for miles and miles for hours and hours.
Family, friends, one more place at the table for an extra guest.
Thanksgiving.
You ask someone what it means to them. Most will say – a time to get together with family. Others will talk about their favorite pie --- or the one time during the year that they have turkey.
They might bring up the horror stories with Aunt Tillie and her
Few mention remembering a new country, feasting instead of starving, and being thankful to God.
Oh, you might hear of someone sharing thankful moments as a family, or another really going all out and serving meals to the homeless.
But mostly we give thanks as lip service --- oh, its what we are supposed to do – after all, its Thanksgiving.
The Word of God talks a lot about thanksgiving, especially in the Psalms.
Psalms 95:2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms.
Psalms 107:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
But what the Lord brought to my mind this morning, was the song we used to sing – "Give thanks with a grateful heart".
Give Thanks. Thanksgiving.
With a Grateful Heart
A time to turn away from the next project at work, who is going to run for governor next year, what's happening with my retirement portfolio, how am I going to pay for all the gifts this Christmas?
A time to refocus.
A time to pause and reflect.
A time to Give Thanks.
That is asking for more than lip service.
For more than just a quick – everyone share at the table before we carve up the Big Bird.
Is the attitude of my heart really grateful?
I don't think that we can really give thanks if we don't put all the busyness of our lives on pause. The world's focus is go, go, go – more, more, more, and me, me, me.
Its pretty hard to be "thankful" on the run.
Thankfulness requires something precious from us.
It requires time.
It necessitates our attention – our focus.
We aren't being ungrateful – we are just busy – too busy!
There is another song we used to sing,
Count your blessings,
Count them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done.
How can I count my blessings if I never slow down enough to realize that I have been blessed.
If I am always focused on not having everything that I need (according to the newspaper ads),
and figuring out how to have it, (add another credit card? is the best price online or in that Black Friday store ad?)
If I just keep going like I have been, all year long,
I will miss the most important part of this holiday.
Thanksgiving.
But deep down inside me, if I listen, I hear my heart cry out.
My heart, which is weighed down with the extraordinary stresses of today;
My heart, which fears the bird flu, West Nile virus, levies breaking and Sacramento flooding, higher interest rates, and terrorist bombings;
My heart, which is passionate, loving, and longing for more;
My heart – which must be continually softened or it will harden up in a hard world.
MY HEART WAS MADE FOR Thanksgiving!
GRATITUDE
THANKFULNESS
APPRECIATION
In Thanksgiving, my heart is renewed when I realize that I don't have to figure it all out.
That there is a loving God who holds the whole universe, and my life in His hands.
In remembering His goodness and faithfulness, my heart looks forward to tomorrow.
In gratitude, I am encouraged
In thankfulness, I find hope.
In appreciation, I find relationship.
My heart requires gratitude in order to stay healthy.
MY GRATEFUL HEART CRIES OUT FOR THANKSGIVING!
I HAVE DECIDED FOR THIS YEAR
More important than feeding my own belly and my family – I am going to feed MY HEART.
I AM GOING TO BEGIN TOMORROW
MAYBE EVEN TONIGHT
I AM GOING TO REFOCUS, TO COUNT MY BLESSINGS, TO DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.
I AM THANKFUL. AND I WANT TO ENJOY THE REMEMBRANCES OF WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR.
AN INCREDIBLE LOVING GOD,
A NATION WHERE I LIVE WITH FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY,
AND THAT DOES INCLUDE FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AND A GOOD
I WILL GIVE THANKS – WITH A GRATEFUL HEART.
Blessings
Richard and Lindy Oliver
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