Take the time and give thanks for your bountiful harvest.
Yesterday my client and I swapped Thanksgiving celebration stories. Her idea of a great day was preparing a simple meal (1 meat dish) and enjoying the day playing outside with her children.
We compared that with the traditional Thanksgiving meals where our parents spent all day in the kitchen and were so exhausted by dinner time that they could barely enjoy the meal.
What’s it like in your home? There is no right or wrong answer, but there is something to be said for taking the time, reflecting and giving thanks for all that we have.
European farmers brought this tradition of Thanksgiving with them to Canada to give thanks for a good harvest and give thanks for their bountiful harvest and abundance of food.
The history of Thanksgiving in Canada also relates to the English navigator, Martin Frobisher who held a formal Thanksgiving ceremony to give thanks for surviving the long journey to what is Newfoundland.
My challenge to you this year is to take the time and give thanks for your bountiful harvest. Look beyond all of the obvious luxuries and thank God for the things that you would otherwise overlook.
- Thank God for the sink of dirty dishes because it means that you have lots of food to eat.
- Thank God for all the noise because it means that you are blessed with children and companionship.
- Thank God for the busyness because it means that you live a rich, full life with purpose and passion.
- Thank God for the empty toilet paper roll that no-one replaced- it means that you have the luxury of a bathroom which should be universal but is not.
- Thank God that you have to wake up early the day after the holiday because it means that you have a job which pays you or people that depend on you.
Thank God for your obnoxious and crazy family because many people would give anything to see their loved ones they lost.
Have a Happy and Grateful Thanksgiving.