I don’t know the situations you are facing in your life. You may be dealing with grief, financial problems, broken relationships, health issues, or any of the other misfortunes that are common in our lives.
My prayer this Thanksgiving is that you can find peace in spite of your circumstances. The key is to make thanksgiving part of every day, not just the capitalized version we celebrate once a year.
I need this reminder in my own life. I am so grateful for my relationship with God; for my family; and for the opportunity to serve as pastor of United Church and Lawrence County Executive. But they can all be messy, painful, and challenging. In the middle of those times it can be hard to find thanksgiving in my heart, but I’m always able to, and I’m grateful for that as well.
Gratitude is like a muscle that grows as we use it. The exercise can include prayer, daily lists, and conversations with the people we are grateful for. The more we consciously incorporate thanksgiving in our lives, the more often it will arise spontaneously, and carve out more moments of peace for us.
I believe a sense of gratitude improves every life and the lives we touch. Unlike all that wonderful food we’ll face tomorrow, we always have room for more.
