Reflection for Thanksgiving

Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good, His love endures forever.

~Psalm 170:1~

Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and do not reject Faith.

~Quran 2:152~

"Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks to God for the harvest and express gratitude in general. The Thanksgiving Day service is held annually at the Pieterskerk in Leiden. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday."

~Wikipedia~

Today, I am thankful for the warm, clean clothes I am wearing and the many clothes in the drawers beside me; for the roof over my head and the furnace downstairs; for the food on the stove and in the pantry; for the clean air I am breathing as I type.

I am thankful for my health and my sanity, and for the country I live in: a nation where I am free to criticize the government out of patriotism without fear of persecution; a nation where I am free to worship God in the way I believe, and where my friends and neighbors may choose to worship or not as they believe; a nation where I can publish my ideas no matter how many disagree with the content; a nation where I too can choose our leaders and shape our future.

I am thankful for my family - though we may not always agree on any matters, we are always there for each other when it matters, and I am thankful that I know when I am most in need, they will be there for me. I am thankful for my friends, who provide a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, a smile to brighten me day.

I am thankful for two hands to serve, for two feet to go, for a mouth to speak, and for ears to listen. I am thankful for two eyes to see the beauty of the world around me - and I am thankful for a mind to recognize the suffering of others. I am thankful for the opportunities I have to serve others who are in need, and for the will to never back down from what I know is right.

I am thankful for each day I have already lived, for the lessons learned, and the friendships fostered. I am thankful for today, for the opportunities to make some small difference in someone's life. I am thankful for all of the days I have yet to live, and the untold opportunities I will have to make a difference - to leave a mark on this world.

But mostly, I am thankful for the God I believe in, for the grace proffered to anyone who will recognize that he too is flawed and imperfect, that any of us might be redeemed and made right with our Creator.

What are YOU thankful for today?