The presidential election all but demands us to look at our lives and our country.
It begs us to look at where we have been financially, emotionally, civically, militarily and how we are today in these varied aspect of our lives. Both candidates offered their best persuasion if elected that “we will be in a better place if we just elect one over the other – and a worse place if we don’t.” Opinions both for and against each of these men is not difficult to find.
As this election wraps up, our national Thanksgiving holiday sits on the horizon along with our joys and concerns of the “next four years.” Although our historical journey to Thanksgiving Day is embedded with controversy, no one can deny the opportunity this holiday offers us as individuals and citizens.
If you stop and think about your life there is so much to be thankful for. Just living in this country can take us down a path of deep gratitude. We have many freedoms to which most of us have become so accustomed that we do not even notice them. For example, freedom of speech, to legal council, to religious expression, are some we take for granted daily, if not weekly. I sit with people every week who share painful stories of rejection, painful pasts, heartbreak, sickness, work changes, financial fears and debilitating illness. Taking time in the midst of difficult, challenging and often painful circumstances is usually far from people’s minds.
It is so easy to give more attention and more energy to what is not working in our lives than what is working.
Last month, Hurricane Sandy approached and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses as we watched. News teams tracked and reported the storm’s path as well as the preemptive efforts people employed to minimize the possible damage. And as the storm made landfall, news channels brought us glimpses of the fury as this storm tore through the cities and towns.
The moment it was safe for the news team to venture outside, the magnitude of damage was the featured story on most networks. With many of these reports come human stories of people’s lives. This storm has impacted and forever changed lives of all ethnicities, orientations and religions.
I lost count of the number of stories where those interviewed said, “we lost our car and our home, but we are all safe. The rest is stuff and we will rebuild.”
Even in their deepest experiences of loss, they are finding a deep sense of gratitude. However, that is not to say that deep grief is eliminated because of that gratitude. Grief will be a companion in the process of this recovery as many items are lost forever, never to be recovered or rebuilt. But even so, their sense of gratitude is palpable.
I cannot escape the reality that with a perfect storm hitting Tampa Bay, the stories of Sandy could just as easily be our story. Maybe your Thanksgiving could be an opportunity to rededicate yourself to the relationships that really matter as you think about your blessings.
John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to do some introspection on your life. No matter your circumstances, ask yourself, what are you thankful for and how will you live your gratitude day in and day out? After all, living from a place of gratitude will not just bless others, it will bless you. You will more than likely notice the gifts of life in a way you may have missed if gratitude and thankfulness were not inviting your attention.
As we come together following a long and contentious election battle paired with one of the worst natural disasters in our nation’s history, may this holiday of Thanksgiving be the beginning of a new season of gratitude. May we include in our Thanksgiving celebration a prayer for the hearts and lives impacted by life’s storms.
And as you express your gratitude, may you never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Abundant blessings and Happy Thanksgiving.
