A Perpetual Thanksgiving

"I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual," wrote Henry David Thoreau. What a great way to live! To be a person of gratitude is to constantly live the first Beatitude: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 3) When we place ourselves in the loving care of our Creator, we embrace the knowledge that we can do nothing without God, who is the source of all good things. 

We have all been around a person who lives their life as a perpetual act of thanksgiving and have all been the beneficiary of the goodness which emanates from them. It is infectious to hear and see what 'thank you' means. It changes us and causes us to pause in wonder as to how a person comes to the place of living in a life-long 'thank you' mode. When we are fortunate enough to be in the presence of a person who lives an attitude of gratitude, we are immediately blessed. Our focus is changed, our posture changes and our appreciation of the blessings of our life becomes clear. Sometimes we are even embarrassed because of what we are reminded of that we may have overlooked.

The politics of the founding of this country set aside, Thanksgiving is an opportunity for each of us to renew our gratitude for the persons, places and experiences for which we forget to be thankful. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to pause and embrace the blessings that have been showered upon us. No matter what we face in life, we are not without blessings. Embracing a life of appreciation and thanks as paramount to our being is a sure and certain way to overcome any challenge and to experience joy. Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

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