Thanksgiving minus the turkey

It's Thanksgiving — for those of you reading this in the U.S. — and I’d like to share something with you.

It’s easy to lose sight of what major holidays such as this are all about. It’s all big business and so the real message can get lost. So, if we take away the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the pumpkin pie, the Pilgrims at Plymouth story, and the Black Friday sales, what are we left with?

I think that sometimes in life, especially at “down” times, it’s very important for us to remember the things that are going right for us — instead of focusing on what is going wrong. We all have stuff in our lives that we’d rather not even think about. I’m no exception. We have battles, we have setbacks, and we have disappointments. 

But we also have a tendency to think too much about the things that are wrong and not enough about the ones that are right.

That’s where Thanksgiving comes in.

What if you stopped today to think about what you are grateful for? You may not realize that you have a lot more going for you than against you. I just need one verse to remind you of that:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

In other words, we have God on our side. How can we lose?

One more thing:

Do you want to feel better starting right now? Do you want to change the focus in your life from the bad to the good? Come on, take a few minutes now and write down your Grateful List — 10 things you’re grateful for today. Write it down, don’t just think about it.

It will only take you a few minutes but it will really brighten your day. (Maybe while your fingers are on the keyboard, would you care to add your list here?)

Happy Thanksgiving!

(And go easy on the calories.)