I find myself in an odd situation today. I am surrounded by family, I have a beautiful wife, I have eaten my fill, and I have all the blessings that come from living in middle class America. I know that I will have a bed to sleep on tonight, I have clothes to wear and even a cellphone and a car in case I have an emergency and need to contact someone or go somewhere. In addition to this, I have a wonderful church family, I have brothers and sisters in Louisville and Savannah, and I know that there are many people who love me. In all of this, how could anyone not be thankful?
Yet, at the same time, I find myself in the same place as many Americans today: I am unemployed, my financial resources are taxed, and I'm not sure when that situation will change. In addition to this I, like many others, have an advanced degree, and feel a specific calling on my life that I would like to accomplish, and that I have dedicated years to fulfilling. Even though I have been the beneficiary of the wonderful generosity of family, so that I have a place to live, there is a distinct enjoyment missing. An enjoyment that comes from working and providing for my family. This situation is frustrating, and the reality of it cannot be escaped.
In thinking about these two situations I am forced to conclude that being thankful really is about what perspective we choose to have in life. We can look at what we want, what we have not yet accomplished, what we have lost or our ills and pains, and we can conclude that life is not as good as we would like. Or, we can choose to look at what we have received and what we have, and we can be appreciative for life itself.
The second mindset, the one that looks at life with appreciation, is the one to which the Christian is called. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:7, "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" The point being that everything we have, from life, to love, to wealth, to family, all of it is a gift to us from God. In addition to this we can add salvation, hope, enjoyment, and any number of other blessings. For the Christian, we are called to be humble, acknowledging that God has given us great blessings, but that also then means we must be thankful, because in acknowledging that we have received blessing, what else can we do but be thankful to the one who has given those blessings to us?
So, on Thanksgiving, and on every day, let us consider what attitude we will have in ourselves, whether being thankful, or holding life in contempt. And, as we are challenged to be thankful for all the many blessings we have received, let us remember who we are thanking. Being thankful necessarily assumes being thankful to someone or something. So, let us give God the glory, both for what we have received, and because he is the one who gives us these things. Let us always remember what James says, "For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
Let us be humble enough to appreciate the good gifts we have been given. As I said to a friend not too long ago, when I was in Virginia I saw beautiful sights from the tops of mountains. I saw valleys of green laid out before me and watched as below me hawks flew in search for prey. Such wonderful sights remind me that I do not know what the future holds, whether I will stand on mountain tops and look across open valleys, or walk on the sea shore and hear the roar of the ocean. But, I know there is still beauty in the world, even if I am in the midst of gray and dreary day.
So, I will be thankful for what I have seen, knowing that those beautiful days brought me to where I am now. I will be thankful for today, knowing that where I am now must yield to the hope of what I will see tomorrow. So, let us always give thanks to the Father of Lights. Let us worship him who gives to us perfect gifts.
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