Time for Thanksgiving

    Rush, rush, rush ... that is all some people do! Life is lived by going from place to place, from one task to another, and always on the job ... or eating, or sleeping. These rushing people are the ones that make us curse on the road (because they cut us off), are impatient, and issue rude comments and complaints. (Ephesians 4:32)

   God's antedote to all this wild activity is "Thanksgiving." The giving of Thanks is encouraged throughout the Bible. Thanksgiving is an activitiy that requires us to sloooow doooownnn and to observe the world around us. 

Turkeys spotted on the side of the road in Sleepy Hollow, NY

   What can you give thanks for?  

   At this time of year, the color in the trees! And you can also give thanks for the variety of trees, and plants, and turf to walk on. Give thanks for Gardeners ... and if it is a natural area, to the God of Creation who placed each object in its place: which means giving thanks for the terrain, including the rocks and streams. And don't forget the animals.  ... take time to smell the roses!

Take time to smell the roses!

     And now that you have taken time to enjoy the things the eye beholds, take time to Thank God (Yes, we do this one often ... although sometimes not in the detail that we should) for the tastes provided in the foods we eat. And not just the obvious (What meats, vegetables and fruits did you eat today ... that includes pies, and the dairy product known as Ice Cream), but also the small. Have you ever noticed how a touch of this spice or that enhances the flavor. And, while you are at it, remember the cook, the server, the grocer, and the farmer.  And God who provides the rain.

A Jazz Musician playing his tune

   And we need to thank God for the things we hear, like music, other people (and that other people can hear us), the leaves rustling, animals and activities nearby, and even our own breating (life is a miracle), heart beat,and noises made when we move. Pray for people who are losing their hearing (and be patient with them ... because most people, including you, will have hearing loss in old age). 

Israel's largest waterfall at Banias, which flows into the Jordan

   And we should give thanks for the things we can feel, like the water trickling under our feet in a cool mountain streem, over our heads from a waterfall or the rain, or on our bodies like the waves of the ocean, water from our morning shower, or the stream from the faucet over our hands. we can give thanks for different textures and surfaces. And we can also give thanks for the love we recieve and can give. Let us always recognize the feelings that come not just from our surroundings and other people, but the feelings that come from reieving God's care.

   Make sure to give thanks every day this season.