It’s the time of year when once again we gather with family, watch football games, cook an enormous feast, and begin to think about holiday shopping. For many reasons, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It isn’t just because of the warm fires, cozy sweaters, and crisp leaves on the lawn. I love Thanksgiving because I really appreciate the true spirit of the holiday—setting aside time to give thanks.
There’s something that feels very healthy about intentionally fostering a spirit of thankfulness. I love the ritual of saying grace before meals because it helps me to remember to acknowledge all of the many things that I have in my life to be thankful for, especially when life doesn’t seem to be going my way. If I spend some time each day thinking about what I do have in my life, I’m less likely to dwell on what I don’t have. Even on the worst of days, there’s always something that I can find to be thankful for.
Not only is this a healthy practice on a daily basis, but the Thanksgiving holiday is a time when I can pause from my busy life to reflect on how God has provided for me over the past year. It gives me the chance to step back from the daily details and look at the bigger picture. It’s a time when I can be thankful for relationships, pivotal life events, seasons of transition, and even disappointments.
This year, I find myself feeling most thankful for the things that didn’t turn out the way that I wanted them to. This is a surprising conclusion coming from a control freak. I spend much of my time and energy grasping for control over what can often feel like the chaos of every day life. I want to be in charge of what happens, to decide how things will turn out, to be the one making the plan. And yet, at the very same time, one of the things that I am most thankful for this year is that I am actually not in control.
