Giving thanks with less


Thanksgiving was just a few days away and for me that meant one thing: Christmas was getting closer!  Now that I was six, I was allowed to dig into the Christmas decorations! Soon my dad would string the twinkling lights outside and bring out his stack of holiday record albums. This was my favorite time of year.

The arrival of all my grandparents brought a mountain of suitcases, clutter and crowded hallways. I didn’t realize their visit was unexpected—they usually took turns—and only came at Christmas.

As I peeked into the kitchen, I saw the cupboards were all open. Canned foods, boxes of cereal and crackers, nuts, large sacks of potatoes, onions, apples and oranges covered our counters. The refrigerator and freezer were soon packed to the seams.

The next day 
good smells wafted through our small house. I’d never seen a canner before, but soon jars were lined up on the counter. It seemed like my grandmas never left the kitchen.

The day after, when Thanksgiving dinner was served, I took my place on the piano bench I shared with my sister. As I looked at the smiling faces of my family, I felt warm inside. My parents never mentioned to me that we’d run out of money.

Years later, in a season of my own financial struggles, I didn’t feel like celebrating Thanksgiving. What was the point? There wasn’t a whole lot to be thankful for. Then, in God’s amazing timing, my grandma called.

Sensing my somber mood, she told me about that bleak Thanksgiving long ago.  They hadn’t planned on visiting us, but my grandparents knew about my family’s unexpected medical bills—and our  money problem. Not celebrating Thanksgiving wasn’t an option for my grandparents. No matter how little you may have, you can choose to be thankful. Grandma said that thankfulness changes our heart—giving us hope for better tomorrows.


Grandma was right. As I learned to be thankful for the little I had, I saw my appreciation grow. The more thankful I became, the more I wanted to share it. 

I now see that's why my grandparents traveled so far to share with us all those years ago. They gave us more than food, they gave us hope. I can't recall many of the Thanksgivings in my life--but I'll always remember that one. Being thankful is a gift. It encourages those near us and it honors the One in Whom all blessings flow.


Thanksgiving still reminds me that Christmas is coming… and yes, you will still find me digging into my boxes of decorations just like I did when I was six.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Popular posts from this blog

Dreaming the Dream

Image
Dreaming big dreams about the future is easy for kids. The only thing standing in the way is time.  Kid’s dreams are not about skills, or opportunities, or even practicality. Those things come much later.  My grandson hopes to be professional soccer player when he grows up. This week, a small piece of his dream came true when his Boys and Girls Club was invited to participate in pre-game activities with the Seattle Sounders Football Club.  He got to suit up in a real jersey and walk on the field with a real pro player. Imagine a young soccer player looking up to who he hopes to be one day. If you haven’t taken the time to talk to a child about their future dreams—you should.  They believe. As we get older we sometimes forget that dreams fuel our hopes—and that's something we all need. So, do you still dream? Or have you left those childhood thoughts behind?  S pending time with children will  inspire you to believe agai
Read more

Sexy Selfies: Posting for attention

Image
We’ve all seen the “selfie” pix on Facebook—those self-taken images in varying forms of dress (or undress). Usually they’re female poses taken in public restrooms, dressing rooms, bedrooms, and lots of what used to be private space. Thanks to selfies and social media, it’s open season on privacy—and modesty. Do you have a social media “friend” who has become a serial selfie? Most often selfies are young girls sharing their sexiness with the world. Serial selfies post hundreds of pictures, so it’s hard to ignore the display. The question is why do they do it. While I don’t approve of the sexy display of serial selfies, insecurity is at the root. Selfies collect “likes” to boost morale. The attention received is like a balm to their broken spirits. But the dark side of exhibitionism is feeling used—not unlike the girl searching for love and giving away her body in hopes of finding love. Selfies seek approval. They're locked in a perpetual cycle of posting pi
Read more

Wild or Tame? Which One Are You?

Image
Finally! Research that explains why I act the way I do. Columbia University’s Motivational Science Center studied people’s activities and what brought them the most happiness. Even more telling were how those activities changed as they aged. Twenty-somethings tend to equate happiness with high-energy activities. Words like excited and ecstatic are usually attached to spontaneous things—even risky things—and living life full throttle.  Researchers labeled this Promotion Motivation —the urge to take chances, including career moves that may not work out. Happiness comes from happenings—the more happenings, the more happiness. By age forty, adults associate happiness with things running smoothly at work and home. It’s also about feeling secure in relationships. Keeping healthy matters more too. This behavior is called Prevention Motivation —and people are more concerned with preserving and maintaining the things they value. It appears that time ofte
Read more