We are well into the Holiday Season, with Thanksgiving right around the corner. Supposedly a time of great joy and excitement. However, it doesn’t necessarily feel that way right now. So much discord and strife milling about. Deep divisions and downright nastiness fill the airwaves. Fear dampens and threatens the spirit. And overseas, concerns of further war and violence just break the heart! A time of thanksgiving? Right now, that can feel like a challenge. So, we paste a smile on our faces and go through the motions, making like all is well and merry. Meanwhile, inside we wonder… and worry.
Pastor and Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer preached that we need to… “give thanks daily… even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty.”
He lived during similar times and understood well the emotions which conflict within, tearing us apart and away from each other. And found that the practice of giving thanks brought its own joy… and strength.
So, how do we give thanks during such divisive days? And why? It doesn’t necessarily change things. Or does it?
An answer possibly lies within the ‘little’ things of life. The simple everyday occurrences and items which often go overlooked. Perhaps we are too worried, or busy to ‘see’ them. Or maybe we think they are trivial, and therefore of no consequence or importance. And yet, the ordinary has a power to effect healing more than we realize.
Take a closer look around. A bouquet of brightly coloured chrysanthemums, or the deep rich red of a poinsettia plant cheer the spirit. And so, we offer thanks for this. The aroma of a turkey roasting in the oven fills the heart with warmth and comfort. Yet another reason for thanks. The sound of children laughing touches the soul with peace, and we are filled with gratitude for their innocence. A note of encouragement from a friend, or the soft touch of a loving hand are always gratefully welcomed.
Life happens amidst the simple and ordinary.
To offer thanks, even for something so basic as feeling a cool drop of rain on your skin in summer, or the delight of seeing snowflakes dancing in the frosty air of winter… is to know joy. A joy which comes from within. And this is something the world cannot take away from you, no matter how troubled or crazy it may be.
Circumstances may be able to dampen the joy around you, but it cannot touch or extinguish what is within. That is yours, and yours alone. For it comes from a Higher Power. A light of sorts which can see you through even the darkest of days. A buoy to help keep you afloat when storm clouds threaten.
In giving thanks for the simple things of life, you in turn affirm life. And that is a good and powerful force. Allowing your heart to open up in such a way as to receive even more joy, and the blessings which often follow.
We may not be able to change or improve the world around us… at the moment. But we can view it in a different and more positive way, by seeking out the simple things in the everyday, and giving thanks for their presence in our lives. However little or unimportant they may seem, the joy they can bestow will perhaps put a smile on your face, or lighten your step even just a little bit. And this is enough, for now.
Regardless the state of the world or your circumstance in life, if you can find even just one thing to be grateful for, however small, then you are in essence planting a seed of joy. Which in turn will take root within, and spread to all around you. If, as they say, fear is contagious… well so too is joy!
In Thanks-giving there is joy enough to fill heart, soul… and beyond.
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give,
and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
D. Bonhoeffer
4 thoughts on “Thanks”
What a wonderful message. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Love, Jim
Happy Thanksgiving Jim!!! Love back!
Gratitude….thankfulness….appreciation. It is the antidote to feeling downhearted. Practice daily!
A Happy Thanksgiving to All!
And a Happy Thanksgiving right back!! May you and the family have a wonderful, loving day!!!!