William Arthur Ward

Thanksgiving 2017

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“I think that is a better thing than thanksgiving: thanks-living. How is this to be done? By a general cheerfulness of manner, by an obedience to the command of Him by whose mercy we live, by a perpetual, constant delighting of ourselves in the Lord, and by a submission of our desires to His will” (Charles Spurgeon).

“Thanksgiving Day is a good day to recommit our energies to giving thanks and just giving” (Amy Grant).

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings” (William Arthur Ward).

It’s in the books. Another Thanksgiving has come and gone (or will be gone in about 1 hour and 47 minutes).

It was a low-key affair with just the immediate family dining at Cracker Barrel. They had all the essential Thanksgiving dinner prerequisites at a reasonable price ($12.99) and only a short wait to be seated (20 minutes).

Not to say that I don’t miss the extended family gathered together around the dining room table. I do. In fact, today for a brief moment I was imagining myself back at my Grandmother’s house on Dee Road and I promise I could almost smell the home cooked goodness in the kitchen and fresh baked rolls on the table. I think at that moment, I’d have given up all the money in my savings account to be able to go back there for five minutes.

Still, I have wonderful memories to be thankful for. Plus so much else. Like finding two Cracker Barrel gift cards in my wallet that more than covered my meal. Or just the gift of waking up this morning.

I’m still finding that one thing every day to be thankful for. Some days, it’s easier to find than on others, but every day there’s always something, no matter how small.

 

More Thanksgiving and Thanks-living

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself” (Tecumseh).

Even on Mondays in October, there is always something to be thankful for. If I’m going to be a one-hit wonder, then my song will always be one of gratitude. I hope you never get tired of hearing just as I never get tired of telling how much joy there is in giving thanks.

Rejoice always. That’s God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. That means that gratitude isn’t just a preferred way of living. It’s prescribed.

Gratitude is the polar opposite of cynicism and sarcasm, two twin fuels that seemingly power social media these days.

I decided a long time ago that seeing the glass as half full was a much better way to live, a much saner way to survive the hard days and the dry days and the long days.

If I come across like a trumpet braying out a one-note symphony, it’s because I’ve seen the power of gratitude to transform not my circumstances but me in the midst of my circumstances.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings” (William Arthur Ward).

“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse” (Henry Van Dyke).

Give thanks. Try it. Just pick one thing, no matter how small or insignificant from your day, and be thankful to God for it.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend” (Melody Beattie).