Posted on by Amanda Joy Beguerie

Thankfulness For a Change, Anyone?

Thankfulness For a Change, Anyone? 

I’ve had a crazy few days, so this post will be short. But in honor of Thanksgiving coming this week, I wanted to write something about being thankful. Happy early Thanksgiving, everyone.

 

It’s five days until Thanksgiving. The day we gorge ourselves on turkey, stuffing (rightfully named), potatoes, squash, veggies, and pie.

 

(And then we go shopping at midnight or after to get the best deals on more stuff. Seriously, America? We’ve gotten our fill of thankfulness for the year and then we go shopping wherein we pepper-spray people over xbox?)

 

Please excuse me for being cliché here, but we often forget about being thankful.

 

For crying out loud, people have nicknamed Thanksgiving “Turkey Day.” WHAT. The thankfulness is gone.

 

Every day, I’m realizing something more and more.

 

Thankfulness isn’t a switch. We shouldn’t turn it on when we feel like it, and off the rest of the time. Even I am guilty of this.

 

I will say that it’s linked to joy. (Check out my joy posts here and here.) Thankfulness, like joy, should not be circumstantial.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

 

I mean, when things are tough and life is hard, it seems so difficult to be thankful.

 

Here’s some encouraging news.

 

  • We have so much to be thankful for, even if not materially.

 

Our salvation, for starters. When put into perspective, it’s kind of amazing what Jesus has done for us.

 

  • God always has a plan.

 

I’m not going to fluff everything up and say that it’s all great all the time. I promise it’s not. Life is hard and non-glamourous. But all the hard things we go through are an opportunity for God to work, which is ultimately the best thing.

 

And you know what else?

 

  • Our thankfulness is praise to God.

 

  • Our thankfulness should not depend on our “feeling thankful” or “feeling blessed,” but because God is always good.

 

Psalm 7:17

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”

 

This year, I encourage you to give thanks. Not just when things go well, or just on Thanksgiving, but every day.

 

Thank you God for your love.

 

Thank you God for giving me this life.

 

Thank you God for giving me opportunities to live for you in freedom.

 

Thank you God for always having a plan, even when I can’t see it.

 

Thank you God for never leaving me on my own when life gets tough.

 

*aj

9 Replies to “Thankfulness For a Change, Anyone?”

  1. YES. I cannot put into words how unbelievably infuriating it is to watch all the “Black Friday starts TUESDAY!” ads and news of people trampling each other, literally, just hours after sitting around a table (yes, stuffing themselves) while giving sappy, cliche examples of what they’re “thankful” for. But if thankfulness isn’t a lifestyle, is it really true?

    I, for one, am going to have a test and an opportunity to be a witness of thankfulness this Friday. I’m going to be working eight and a half hours at good old Chick-fil-A, amidst the crowds of frenzied shoppers. And that is a really, really long time. So I’m going to have an opportunity to choose not to complain, to push through all the feelings of exhaustion, and to be a witness to each person I cross paths with in those hours. I’m hoping and praying I will be able to have an impact on at least one person’s life in a good way that day. 🙂

    Thanks for the reminder as always.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Amanda. 🙂

      It is SO infuriating. Not saying I don’t go shopping on Black Friday, but when people place so much importance on stuff? GAH. I know. “I’m thankful for my family.” A lot of people don’t have family. “I’m thankful for my home.” A lot of people don’t have homes. “I’m thankful for my possessions.” A lot of people are pretty bare when it comes to possessions. Why are we making thankfulness be based on things so shallow? You’re so right. If thankfulness isn’t a lifestyle, is it really true?

      Wow. That will definitely be a challenge, but you have a wonderful attitude about it. Keep it up! I’m sure that God will work through you on Friday. 😉

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  2. Wonderfully said! I have honestly never seen the point of Black Friday. And it especially annoyed me that the day after THANKSGIVING DAY is Black Friday (which should be nicknamed “Greed Day”). Anyways, you said it perfectly!! 🙂

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  3. I love this post!! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, just because of how it tends to be less commercialized (even though I’ve heard people call it “Black Friday Eve” now… ugh) and the general attitude and family togetherness. 🙂 I have to remind myself to be thankful no matter the season or how I feel.

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  4. Thankfulness definitely shouldn’t be a thing that just happens, like, once a year. xd Although I do think it’s cool that the Americans have set aside the time to specifically be thankful!! Australia has nothing like that. Although at this time of year we’re all to busy dying from the heat. XD
    But yes! There’s always a lot to be thankful for. :’)
    Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!

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    1. Haha, you’re right. I sometimes forget that Thanksgiving is a solely American thing, because thankfulness *should* be universal. (Enjoy your Australian heat! :P)
      There is a lot to be thankful for, and honestly, the more thankful we are, the happier we are! So that is a good thing.
      Thanks for commenting, Cait!

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