THANKSGIVING – 1) Don’t Want to Hear About It. 2) Giving Thanks IS. 3) Giving Thanks IS NOT

A. Reasons We DON’T LIKE to Hear About It.

1. There’s no one there to give thanks to.
2. Bleaahhh …
3. We’re having a rough day.
4. We’re having a rough five years.
5. We aren’t really awake yet.
6. We’re physically sick.
7. Some people are being stupid – or mean, or dangerous.
8. We’ve just got too much going on.
9. We’re mad at God.
10. We’re mad at somebody else.
11. We’re obsessed with what we don’t have, maybe to the point of being unwilling to think about what we do have.
12. More? …

B. What is Giving Thanks NOT Like?

1. Sitting down and soaking in the feelings under “A” above.
2. Saying it without meaning it.
3. Saying it without thinking about it.
4. Actually feeling no appreciation for how we are already blessed.
5. Just being too busy – moving too hard and fast — too agitated to be calm for a few minutes and think about our blessings.
6. More? …

C. What IS Giving Thanks Like?

The word “thank” is related in history to the word “think.” Thus “Giving Thanks” has a lot to do with what we think about and how we think about it. So what is “Giving Thanks” like?

1. Being appreciatively aware of any good thing, any blessing we can find in our lives.
2. Being appreciatively aware of any good thing, any blessing we can find in the lives of people we care about.
3. Being glad those things are part of our world.
4. Feeling glad without saying it.
5. Feeling appreciative and praying it.
6. Feeling thankful and saying it.
7. Humbling ourselves enough to admit that we are truly blessed, even in this difficult world, even today.
8. More? …

See also:
Give Thanks Freely – But Not for EVERYthing!
Remember Those in Prison