Being thankful and giving thanks are not the same
Each of us can be happy about and thankful for our good fortune. There are many things in our lives that cause us to feel that way, to feel grateful. But giving thanks for the bounty that graces our lives is something altogether different.
To illustrate what I mean, ask yourself a question but answer truthfully: When was the last time you really thanked someone for being who they are, for deeds of kindness they have shown to you and to others, or for being there when you really needed them? If you answered honestly, and since expressing a sincere, heartfelt thank you is not easy for most, it has probably been a while.
Thursday is Thanksgiving Day and although its true meaning was once very significant to our national forebears, it seems to me that this very special and originally American-only holiday of giving thanks has somehow been reduced to nothing more than families and friends congregating to indulge in an abundance of food and drink. Is it really a Thanksgiving meal when so little humble thankfulness is expressed? And to whom or to what do you render your thanks?
Because I am a man of faith, I give God my Father thanks for all that He has done and will do for me, even when times were not good, during illness, or when I lost a loved one. You see, I believe that everything in my life is a result of His will, both the good and the harmful. I could therefore not give thanks when times were good without giving thanks when times were troubled, because I do not lead a segmented life -- I am a product of the whole. Merely counting one's blessings is nothing more than being thankful and not truly giving thanks.
It is my belief that we should all gratefully acknowledge His blessings despite adverse circumstances, and not wait for any singular day to do so. As I write this I think back to my last moments with my father and my wife, and can honestly say that during those distressful last moments I thanked my father for being my dad, and thanked sweet Irene for gracing my life. And though I had expressed my love to them many times in the past, it was important to do so one last time.
This Thanksgiving, many of us won't be able to share time or a meal with our families, or with our closest friends. Yet in our own way we can give thanks to God and to our loved ones, and we can all do so willingly and without fear.