Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving.

Today I thank God for the abundance of blessings in my life. I will also thank God for the things in my life that don't seem or feel like a blessing. I am learning that "a grateful heart is most precious to God when, humanly speaking, our situations don't warrant giving thanks." Reading that recently, reminded me that I do need to thank God for the joys, dissapointments and heart aches; always trusting in and accepting in thanksgiving, God's plan. Thankgiving doesn't always have to be that kick your heels off, woo-hoo I am thankful. Thanksgiving in acceptance of a situation as coming from God—either directly sent or permissively allowed is humble thanksgiving. If I truly believe He's working for my good (Rom 8:28-29), I can choose to receive each difficulty as coming from His loving hand. Then I can truely say thank you.

I have been having a particular hard time lately and I don't like it. I am deeply sad and hurt over a situation that I cannot change, nor can I talk with the person who has hurt me. I don't completely understand the depth of my sadnesss but what I do know is because of the situation I can't cross this boundary. I think this is what God is asking of me here.... a lesson in being humble. It is hard and I find myself saying, "This really sucks God but I think I know what you are doing and I must bow my head and let You work in me. Still sucks , just so you know ." I know I do not have the ability within myself to endure hardships with gratefulness. I need to rely on God so I can go through through this and futue adversities with an appreciative heart. That is where I want to be, but honestly I am so not 100% there, yet I remain thankful that God is working in me.

There is a prayer of General Thanksgiving in the Book of Common Prayer that I love. When I lead morning prayer it is the one that I always choose. I often open my prayer book to this prayer for no particular reason. I just like it. I will pray this with my family today as we share our Thanksgiving meal. I recently learned that the person who wrote this, wrote it after his 4 year old was tragically killed. I don't know this person but I think that he was packed with the power of the Holy Spirit that worked for him and through him guiding him with this prayer of humble, real thanskgiving.

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have
done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole
creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,
and for the mystery of love.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for
the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best
efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy
and delight us.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures
that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the
truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast
obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying,
through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life
again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know him and
make him known; and through him, at all times and in all
places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer pg 836

So, I think that the message for my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is:
Yes ,I am thankful for all the blessings in my life and I accept any situation as coming from God. With a proper attitide, thaksgiving can overflow into my life no matter what happens because God loves me, guides me and wants the best for me. I need to pray, pray without ceasing through my circumstances and to have a listening heart to hear God's message to me. I need to have complete trust and faith to place myself under His loving wisdom and draw from the strength I need to endure the joys and difficulties in my life with gratitude.


Namaste'
Maureen