What Happened to Thankfulness?

"Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:4-5 NKJV It has been some time since I posted in my blog--months, as a matter of fact. Regardless, I have been giving much thought to the Thanksgiving holiday. The word "Holiday" is derived from Holy Day. Once upon a time, the world recognized days that had holy significance. It was Abraham Lincoln who originally called for setting aside a day of Thanksgiving. Who knew that a century & a half later America would be so mired in selfishness and greed that the idea of being thankful would be a foreign concept? True, as a nation, we have progressed in many ways. However, all change has not been for the better. In my lifetime, I recall there being far more patriotism, far more recognition of history, far more family-oriented entertainment and holiday gatherings, and far more worship of GOD and thankfulness for His blessings and provision. Was it all good? No, life is a process. There is pain in the process, but there is purpose in the pain. People come into our lives and people leave us, sometimes via relocation to other parts of the country & world or through physical death and entrance into their eternal reward. Sometimes, families are fractured by separation or divorce, and sometimes disagreements or poor life choices cause rifts in relationships which distance us from those we thought would always be part of our lives. Obviously, reconciliation is possible as long as both parties are living & open to the possibility. Shame is that most of the time, neither wants to be the one to initiate the needed reconciliation. When we lose someone to death, their memory can be pleasant to recall but their absence often screams and echoes in the very depth of our being. Hurt, heartache and even death are a part of living. I feel certain that those who have departed this life would not want us to mourn them to the extreme and throw ourselves into depression over their absence from this life--especially those who have entered Heaven's gates and the glorious splendor of eternity with the Lord. Weeping is short-lived but joy is eternal because the joy of the Lord is our strength. It's time that we turned the clock back and got back to the basics of life--GOD, Family and Country. We must count our blessings instead of our crosses and learn once again to treat all people with respect. While we're at it, can we take holiday one at a time & enjoy each one for what it is and what it means? Thanksgiving is a time for just that--the giving of thanks. We can't observe it properly if we are decorating for Christmas right after the Fourth of July. Take time for the holidays, especially the Holy of the holidays, and be thankful for what GOD has done in and through us while we hope for the fulfillment of His holy calling on each of our lives. Thanksgiving is the time for togetherness and celebration of GOD's goodness. He is The Great Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts. May this Thanksgiving be a time of restoration, reconciliation, healing, wholeness, peace and thankfulness for you & yours. Blessings!