I'm Thankful For...
So, I've been thinking all week about what to write for Thanksgiving. I could write about everything I'm thankful for--family and friends, our home and pets, a job I love, our secure lives here in Gering, Nebraska, or, most of all, for God's loving care and His Son's great sacrifice for me and everyone. But so much of it seems like a cliche. Of course, we're thankful for all of these things, and we express our thankfulness this Thanksgiving, as we do every year, to God and the people we love. There's nothing wrong with that. But, somehow, it just doesn't seem to be enough.
Every Thanksgiving, someone always expresses the feeling that our thankfulness should not be reserved for one day of the year, but should continue all year long. I believe this, too. But, this week, I've been thinking about all of those things that we take for granted, that we forget to thank God for because we just accept life the way it is most of the time. So, why don't you join me in thanking God for those things that we rarely think about, like...
The sun that has risen and set faithfully (and beautifully) every day, for thousands of years, providing the warmth and light that we need to survive.
The air that we breathe, a perfect mix of oxygen and nitrogen and everything else that our bodies need to stay alive.
The perfectly-formulated water that covers so much of our Earth, providing life-giving and sustaining moisture for all living things.
Atoms, the nearly-invisible building blocks for everything in our world.
Tiny seeds that contain everything needed to replicate themselves, all in one miniscule package, providing food for the nations.
The gravity that keeps us all grounded.
The clouds that provide moisture and shade.
Trees of so many varieties, shapes, and sizes, that provide cooling shade, fruit and nuts for people and animals to eat, homes for animals (and people, too, for that matter), and sheer beauty throughout the changing seasons.
Countless species of animals that provide food and clothing, labor and companionship, for all people.
Music, in myriad forms, providing joy for multitudes throughout the ages.
Modern medical personnel and procedures that improve, extend, and save lives, transportation methods that allow us to travel anywhere in the world in less than a day's time, and communication technology that would have been called "science fiction" just a few years ago.
Our bodies that are so wonderfully made, with each part doing its job, day in and day out. Our brains that greatly surpass the abilities of any computer, and our hearts that keep on beating day after day, year after year, better than any Energizer battery, without any need for a "tune-up." The skin that holds everything in place, protecting all that lies beneath its surface. The bones that give us stability and form. The muscles and ligaments that enable us to move. The blood that courses throughout our bodies, sending nutrients and so many other essentials wherever they are needed. The amazing reproductive system that works so flawlessly to produce new human beings. Our eyes that see so well, in color, and our ears that hear all kinds of sounds. Our noses that breathe and smell. Our mouths that enable us to eat, breathe, speak, and even sing. Our hands and feet--without them we couldn't walk or run, care for ourselves and our families, or do our jobs. All of the other organs and structures within our bodies that work together to keep us healthy and alive.
Our emotions and passions and intellect. Our ability to communicate and love and interact with other people. Our abilities to read and write and reason. Our drive to create and invent and build and explore.
Our ability to seek God and know Him and communicate with Him through prayer.
Our hope of eternal life.
Our amazing God, who thought of everything we would need, even before He made us, and who continues to give us everything we need to stay alive, every day, even when we take His blessings for granted.
Every Thanksgiving, someone always expresses the feeling that our thankfulness should not be reserved for one day of the year, but should continue all year long. I believe this, too. But, this week, I've been thinking about all of those things that we take for granted, that we forget to thank God for because we just accept life the way it is most of the time. So, why don't you join me in thanking God for those things that we rarely think about, like...
The sun that has risen and set faithfully (and beautifully) every day, for thousands of years, providing the warmth and light that we need to survive.
The air that we breathe, a perfect mix of oxygen and nitrogen and everything else that our bodies need to stay alive.
The perfectly-formulated water that covers so much of our Earth, providing life-giving and sustaining moisture for all living things.
Atoms, the nearly-invisible building blocks for everything in our world.
Tiny seeds that contain everything needed to replicate themselves, all in one miniscule package, providing food for the nations.
The gravity that keeps us all grounded.
The clouds that provide moisture and shade.
Trees of so many varieties, shapes, and sizes, that provide cooling shade, fruit and nuts for people and animals to eat, homes for animals (and people, too, for that matter), and sheer beauty throughout the changing seasons.
Countless species of animals that provide food and clothing, labor and companionship, for all people.
Music, in myriad forms, providing joy for multitudes throughout the ages.
Modern medical personnel and procedures that improve, extend, and save lives, transportation methods that allow us to travel anywhere in the world in less than a day's time, and communication technology that would have been called "science fiction" just a few years ago.
Our bodies that are so wonderfully made, with each part doing its job, day in and day out. Our brains that greatly surpass the abilities of any computer, and our hearts that keep on beating day after day, year after year, better than any Energizer battery, without any need for a "tune-up." The skin that holds everything in place, protecting all that lies beneath its surface. The bones that give us stability and form. The muscles and ligaments that enable us to move. The blood that courses throughout our bodies, sending nutrients and so many other essentials wherever they are needed. The amazing reproductive system that works so flawlessly to produce new human beings. Our eyes that see so well, in color, and our ears that hear all kinds of sounds. Our noses that breathe and smell. Our mouths that enable us to eat, breathe, speak, and even sing. Our hands and feet--without them we couldn't walk or run, care for ourselves and our families, or do our jobs. All of the other organs and structures within our bodies that work together to keep us healthy and alive.
Our emotions and passions and intellect. Our ability to communicate and love and interact with other people. Our abilities to read and write and reason. Our drive to create and invent and build and explore.
Our ability to seek God and know Him and communicate with Him through prayer.
Our hope of eternal life.
Our amazing God, who thought of everything we would need, even before He made us, and who continues to give us everything we need to stay alive, every day, even when we take His blessings for granted.
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