Living with Thanksgiving

Moving into the holiday season with pumpkin smells and Christmas bells, it’s hard not to be grateful for so many things. But having something to be thankful for isn’t limited to this time of year. Sure, my family thinks about it as we gather around the table at my mother’s house, ready to eat the feast prepared by my “Teeny Tiny Granny”. Glass of wine in hand or milk in sippy cups, we share our blessing and prayers with each other. There is rarely another day of the year where we openly confess our thankfulness for the multitude of blessings God has given, yet He gives them every day. So why is it that we only recognize and share our gratitude on just this one day?

I remember seven years ago when my grandfather died. This was my first experience with the passing of a loved one. During the days traveling back to Florida from Charlottesville (kind of a long story involving a snow storm and sleeping in the airport terminal, only having what I wore to the funeral, on the floor) I realized there was so much time I still needed to share with him. But now, it was too late. The time had passed. As an Episcopalian rector in many churches, including Grace Episcopal in New York, he had so many stories to tell, so much knowledge to share. I cried so long realizing I missed many opportunities God had given me to be thankful and appreciate him. It was only once he was gone I realized what I had missed. It was a tough lesson to learn.

So what if everything we were thankful for only came on that one day as we gather around the thanksgiving table? What if there was not anything to be grateful for on any other day of the year? Of course God doesn’t operate that way. But, we can be grateful and thankful every day and not just the one day a year we call ‘Thanksgiving Day’. Every day should in some way be Thanksgiving Day. This is what I call ‘Living with Thanksgiving”. I challenge you this holiday season to make sure you are “Living with Thanksgiving”.

Dede Franklin