Giving Thanks

I have two banners hanging in my dining room and they spell Thanks Giving. Except they’re not in that order. I deliberately hang them as Giving Thanks. For some reason it makes me remember what I can do every day instead of one day a year.

On my dining room table is a well-worn, hand stamped table runner made by my two preschool girls. Their gold hand prints remind me of how thankful I am for my family. What else am I thankful for? Simple things like the feel of the air before it snows, chai tea, the warmth of my husband’s hug before we fall asleep, the smell of honey and oatmeal soap, fir trees at Priest Lake, yes, even roasting chestnuts grown from our trees.

And sometimes I have to be thankful for things I am NOT thankful for. Like when I lost 1/3rd of my book because of a computer and user glitch. But I determined to be thankful anyway. It makes me look for something good to come out of the loss and to stay joyful.

Right this minute, how many things are you thankful for? The Upside of this one-day holiday is that it is so easily celebrated all year long.

Pull out a mason jar and write on it: GIVING THANKS. Cut up small strips of paper, staple them together and every single time you think of something to be thankful for, rip off a sheet and stuff it in the Mason Jar. With a heart and jar full of Giving Thanks you will always be looking for more things to be thankful for.

And next Thanksgiving you’ll celebrate with an overflowing mason jar of memories of Giving Thanks.

Even 1 Thes. 5:18 puts it in this order: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Happy Thanksgiving. And if you have a minute or two – enjoy this video and Giving Thanks song sung by Josh Groban: Thankful.