Thanksgiving is seriously one of my favorite times of the year. For me, there’s nothing I love more than getting together with my favorite people and eating my favorite foods. Despite how much I love the holiday, I often forget to take a step back and reflect on what it’s really all about. I’ll admit it; I like to complain, like a lot. If it were an Olympic sport, I guarantee you I would win the gold medal. I want to change that, though. I want to get better at expressing gratitude rather than anger and bitterness. I want to appreciate my blessings and not take them for granted. Recently, I read a verse in Philippians that really struck a chord in my heart:
“I know what it is to be in need and I know what is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:12-13)
I’ve experienced great sorrows, but I’ve also experienced great joys. Being content in all situations, well, that’s something I have yet to grasp. It’s easy to want to shut down when things don’t go our way. It’s even easier to blame our circumstances on others and say that we will be happy when (fill in the blank) happens. Gratitude is not easy. I am slowly learning that if we learn to be thankful right now and count our blessings right now, then we will not be disappointed when things do not go exactly our way. Life doesn’t work according to our own plan. It is through a firm trust in our Heavenly Father that the best is yet to come that we can rise above our pain, insecurities, and anxieties.
This Thanksgiving, there will be people all across the world that are in need. There will be people who are hungry, while we are well fed. While we are living with plenty, they will be living in want. Although we can’t change the world all at once, we can change our attitudes. I challenge you to sit down and write a list of your blessings. It doesn’t have to be long or super detailed. Think of the big things that you are truly grateful for. Here’s mine:
I am thankful for…
1. My loving, supportive family and the close bond that I have with them.
2. True friends that I know I can depend on.
3. The talents and abilities that I have been gifted to share with the world.
4. An education that allows me to pursue my dreams.
5. Fashion! Without it, the world would be a very dull place.
6. Knowing that I have food, except sometimes the dining hall struggle is too real (Oops! I just complained in my list of blessings…).
7. The security of knowing that I have a place to call home.
8. The reassurance that I don’t have to tackle life alone.
9. A church where I feel God’s love come alive.
10. A Savior who loves me more than I can comprehend.
Happy Thanksgiving!