We all know that November contains the holiday of Thanksgiving. Yet, if studies were done and statistics created, I bet it could easily be argued that the “giving of thanks” has taken second place to good food as being the star of the day. On the flip side, the words thank you have been labeled two of the most important words Christians can express throughout their conversations with God. The words, if uttered repetitiously from a meditated faith, help us all know God and know the existence of His daily blessings. The words help take us far away from seeing life as half empty of hope and promise, to envisioning it as an everyday place where God can be found. These two words provide the framework for November spirituality and beyond.
Retracing my Thanksgiving holidays in memory, I recall very few where the focus was about giving thanks. Sure, I respected the blessing before the meal, but there was little regard for the other blessings God had given. Actually, it is really tough to arrange for a spiritual discipline for one day of the year only. How could I expect myself to do something on Thanksgiving day that wasn’t a deeply engrained part of my everyday living? If nothing else, such an act of thanksgiving on Thanksgiving would only be that—an act—and not a regular behavior of my faith.
The goal should be to reserve thanksgiving for every day, not simply on the holiday of Thanksgiving. There is so much for which to be grateful, running the gammet from Jesus’ revolutionary sacrifice to the fact that I found an empty cart in a busy grocery store. Months ago, I was on a business trip and had dropped by a store late one night to grab a few items before going back to the hotel. A quick trip turned into something else, and before I knew it, my hands were out of room and I found myself looking for a cart. I started beating myself up for not grabbing one after I had originally come in the store. Being in the very back of the store, I made my way back up front, hoping not to drop anything with every step I took. I had only traveled one aisle’s distance when I noticed an empty cart a few feet away, no apparent owner in sight. After peeping around corners to ensure I wasn’t overlooking its rightful owner, I placed my items down in the cart and said thank you.
The experience with the cart was so spiritual, because earlier in the day I had begun reading a book on gratitude. The author was discussing the importance of looking for ways to express gratitude to God, and finding this cart in the store became my first lesson. The next day there were several incidences, actually many, that probed the newfound urge to say thank you God.
This habitual act of praying thank you helped me find God’s existence and love in days that you and I would otherwise call average. Saying thank you does not generate more of God’s blessings in our lives, instead it opens our eyes to those that have already been given and prepares us to see and feel those that will soon come. What has been given to you? What blessings are coming your way? To prepare, make it a habit of praying thank you often and appreciating the goodness of God that is already yours.
Copyright 2006 by Sean K. Mitchell
Sean K. Mitchell is a fundraising consultant and a creative writer. He is also the author of The Financial Pilgrimage, a book that helps Christians embrace a fresh approach to financial decisions and Christian living. For more information on the book or to contact Sean, visit www.seankmitchell.com.
