Why does it take a month? Seriously, people. It’s November. How many people are posting about what they’re thankful for? Don’t worry, I won’t look for an actual answer, but we know that there are many out there writing each day.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against the posts. I think they’re sweet. I enjoy seeing the range of things that people are thankful for- spouses, pets, homes, cars, jobs, friends, free time, naps, whatever hits them in the moment or something they’ve thought about for a while. My frustration is the timing and lifestyle. I wake up every morning and have my quiet time. I read scripture and pray. Often, I write out my prayers. One reason I do that is because when I write my prayers out, I always start with my thankfulness. I’m thankful for another day, another chance, a loving family, etc. Even when I want my prayers to jump right in and say, “What the heck? Where is my fair share?” I don’t. When I go outside and run in the darkness of an early morning and see the stars shining above, again I am grateful. I’m thankful for the opportunities to run and be alone. I’m thankful that the creator of the stars keeps his promises to me, even when I don’t deserve them. Let’s face it, I’m a selfish, pain in the butt, first rate complainer. And yet, my self-seeking heart still finds time to thank God every morning. I see a lot of people that write a sweet or funny post each day of November to show their thankfulness, yet surrounding, and often interspersed with these posts, are back to life as normal complaints. For some reason people can only be thankful for what they have when it’s the month of November. It’s disheartening. If you look around, truly see people, you’ll find quite a few self-serving folks out there. (I just look in the mirror or to my family for easy reference.) So often, at the heart of this entitlement is a simple explanation: a lack of gratitude. When my heart is not black as night, I have found myself to not care about little things simply because I was grateful for the opportunities in the midst. Now don’t misread this, I know I’m selfish, but I think that’s a big part of it. Like the old saying goes: Knowing is half the battle. Being thankful on a daily basis sets a reminder that we can lose anything at anytime. Once we realize that life is not in our hands, we can set aside a good amount of our selfish desires. So, I would like to challenge you, reader. Be thankful daily. Write it down. Whether you choose to broadcast your thankfulness to social media, write it in a journal, or make a wall of sticky notes, track your gratitude. I guarantee you’ll see a difference in yourself after doing so. Then challenge others. If each person reaches five people to step up to the challenge, well, gratitude will spread like Corona at Memorial Day, Voting Day, and our upcoming Thanksgiving feasts. Maybe then we’ll learn to love each other more, being thankful for what and who we have, and create a better world.
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May 2023
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