Thanksgiving Memories
They're all good....
1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
As we wind down this Thanksgiving weekend, I’m sure most of us are going our separate ways from family and friends, full of great food, fabulous desserts, some savored wine or specialized beer, and hopefully some new, lasting warm memories. Maybe some of you grabbed some great Black Friday bargains and are anticipating more deals tomorrow, on Cyber Monday.
Whatever you did with whomever was present, as you reflect over the weekend, commemorate all your activities to the Glory of God.
If you laughed, praise God for the joyful moments.
If you cried, ask God for comfort.
If you quarreled, ask God for forgiveness and relationship healing.
If you didn’t feel well, ask God for physical healing.
If you were alone, ask God for companionship and good company.
If you were sad, ask God for solace and to bring back joy.
If you connected with old friends, thank God for returning them to your life.
If you were introduced to new friends, thank God for the new gifts.
If you traveled, thank God for a safe journey.
If you prepared the food, thank God it was tasty; be grateful for electricity and refrigeration.
If you put up Christmas decorations, thank God as they set the stage for celebrating the birth of Jesus.
If you played physical sports games, thank God no one was hurt.
If you shopped and snagged good deals, thank God you had the money to spend.
What else would you add to the list?
Whatever you did, smile and get some extra rest for the weeks ahead.
Give God the glory and be grateful for each moment you can enjoy all things in life that are part of the human experience. And whatever the next few weeks bring, do each activity for the Glory of God.
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After the craziness that many go through over family gatherings, I would add two pieces of advice I gave to my children and grandchildren in an essay I wrote for them.
-Forgive, But Don’t Forget
Forgiveness of those who hurt you costs nothing.
Holding a grudge can cost plenty in terms of peace of mind and loss of a friend or family member’s company.
Forgetting can leave you open to being hurt again.
-Apologize, Sometimes Even When You Are Not Wrong
I never want to hurt anyone but sometimes it happens. I’m quick to apologize to put things right and preserve a relationship.
Sometimes, however, I can be right yet my words cause hurt. I remember one time where a relative suggested suing the military after my father-in-law died from a smoking related illness. He said the military gave him cigarettes and was therefore responsible. I popped up and pointed out that the military didn’t force him to light and smoke the free cigarettes. The hurt was evident on this relative’s face and I felt terrible about it. That night, I couldn’t sleep until I set things right but I truly believed that what I said was correct. I did apologize but not for what I said, I wrote a sincere apology letter expressing my regret that my words had hurt him. He was very happy to receive the letter!
That was not the only time that I sent a letter of apology for something that I did or said that I believed to be true but someone close to me was upset. In all cases, I apologized for what my actions caused and not for the actions themselves. Maintaining family and friend relationships is that important!
Thank you for the lovely reminders. We oftentimes forget to be grateful for those things that go as planned and bring us such joy.