An Attitude of Gratitude

Ok I admit it. I love Thanksgiving! In fact I like Thanksgiving more than any other holiday, even more than Christmas or Easter. This is quite a statement coming from someone who was raised in a home where Christmas was king, an extravaganza of lights, gifts, family, food and fun.Growing up my family went all out during the Christmas season. In fact it would probably be more accurate to say that my family went overboard during the Christmas season. Like many American families during the holidays we over extended ourselves, we overspent, and we overate. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the holidays as a child but as I look back I recognize that while we had a lot of fun during Christmas time there was something missing. What was missing? Gratitude. An attitude of thankfulness. An awareness of the fact that we were blessed and that God was the giver of all the gifts we so freely enjoyed.

     And that is why I enjoy thanksgiving so much! You see thanksgiving is a time to reflect upon how God has blessed us and it provides and opportunity for us to take time to thank Him for all he has done in our lives. During Thanksgiving there are no worries about buying the "perfect" gift and no crowds to contend with at the department store. In fact aside from the work that goes into preparing the meal Thanksgiving tends to be a time where we focus upon relaxation, reflection, and relationships. During the thanksgiving holiday people tend to focus on how precious their family is, how fortunate they are to have what they've been given, and how good God has been to them.

     But to be quite honest what makes Thanksgiving so special is not the holiday itself but rather an attitude of gratitude. It is fascinating how a slight attitude adjustment changes things but it really does. When we count our blessings and express our gratitude we almost always find that we feel better, that things are better than we had previously thought and that God has blessed us! When we focus on what we do have, rather than what we want or don't have, we find that life is more enjoyable, more fulfilling, and more valuable. So this year as you sit at the table to carve a turkey or cut slice a ham in the presence of friends and family whether it be Thanksgiving or Christmas take time to count your blessings! Because an attitude of gratitude changes things. Try it! You'll be glad you did!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas,

Pastor Chris Zeller