Being Thankful

I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving.  It is the time of year where my mom would make foods that I normally wouldn't get during the rest of the year (sausage balls in mass quantity).  But it was also a time where family would get together and at least for myself I would reflect on what I was truly thankful for.

As a kid, I was thankful for my newest toy and mass quantities of food.  When my family was hit hard financially I was simply thankful for a roof over our heads and food to eat.  As I grew older and hopefully wiser (still up for debate) I became thankful for less of the frivolous things (material objects and new toys) and for deeper more personal things ( the love of my family and friends).  When I became a Christian I realized that all of those things came from someone else, someone bigger, stronger and more powerful.  I began to be thankful for being loved by God.  This didn't negate everything I was thankful for beforehand, but it did put all the things I was thankful for in perspective.

One of my favorite passages on Thanksgiving is 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "...give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will in Christ Jesus."

The verse has always stuck out to me, because it calls us to be thankful daily no matter our circumstances.  As one commentator said that, "...[giving thanks] should be a common and constant element in our daily life."

Now I don't know about you, but I struggle with being thankful.  Most of the time I take things for granted, even the smallest things---a sunrise, clean air and even waking up to a new day.  This happens because I get wrapped up in thinking about what I have to do that day or worrying about something that isn't complete that I miss being thankful.

The second part that really kills me is that my circumstances do not dictate whether I should be thankful or not.  Are there times that I am more thankful than others....of course, but being thankful shouldn't be dependent upon my circumstances.  The object of thanks in this passage is God and it is an essential part of my relationship with Him.   Whether I am in a great position in my life or in a position of suffering and struggle, a part of my character as a believer is to give thanks to God.

So no blog about Thanksgiving would be complete if they didn't tell you what they were thankful for:

I am ever so thankful for what Christ did on the cross (who saved a wretch like me).
I am thankful for my loving and caring wife (without her I would be a mess).
I am thankful for my family (and in-laws) who has been there through trial and success (and put up with me for too long).
I am thankful for friends God has placed in my life both past and present, near and far (again they put up with me, but also helped form the man you see today).
I am thankful for my church and community. (who I continue to grow and get to know and remain thankful for their prayers and encouragement---and put up with me).

What are you thankful for?
Have you developed this element in your life daily not just during Thanksgiving?
If so, what do you do to keep the spirit of being thankful ever on your heart and mind?

Be Blessed