Feathered Friends
I spent time with some grandkids last evening while their parents went out. They had made these darling little turkeys that were adorning the wall near the front door. You’ve likely seen these little Thanksgiving crafts before, each feather stating something for which the child is thankful. These particular turkeys included common things like family, food, home and grandparents (YAY!). There were also unique things mentioned like light, warmth, games & puzzles, paper to draw on, nature, Jesus and quiet times. If we were to each sit down and create a turkey of our own with feathers representing all the things we are thankful for, we could surely create some extensively feathered creatures. But it got me thinking about gratitude and thankfulness. Does it just come down to listing all the good things, some of which are obvious?
If you’re like me, there have been times in life when it’s difficult to make that list. Oh, certainly at the very least, we are grateful for a place to lay our heads and food to eat. And as believers, we are obviously thankful for the gift of salvation provided through the death and resurrection of Jesus. But what if there has been loss, unexpected tragedy, grave illness, hardship? There may be years when that turkey you craft looks like it’s already had its feathers plucked!
Perhaps the “attitude of gratitude” that can truly sustain us goes far beyond what is merely seen in our world. Gratitude that is deeply felt and constant has the potential to completely change a person’s disposition and attitude toward life. I believe this is what the apostle Paul was referring to in I Thessalonians 5:18 when he said that we should give thanks “in all circumstances”. As I’m sure many of you have heard before, that doesn’t mean we are necessarily thankful FOR all circumstances. There are plenty of things going on in all of our lives for which we certainly are not thankful. But are we still thankful?
When I think back to some of my most difficult episodes in life, gratitude was not high on my list of priorities. I doubt that I even considered it. My first marriage broke up due to some infidelity on the part of my former husband. In the confusion of it all, I in turn made some poor choices. Friends walked away. I had no family in town. I left the church where I had been serving in a number of capacities. I was trying to keep my head above water to continue homeschooling my kids and eventually had to give that up to find a job to support us. My paper turkey that year may have been naked. But not really. Although I had to live through a few panic attacks and go through some Christian counseling, I really never gave up. Deep down I knew that God had me in His everlasting arms. I knew that He loved me and that He loved my kids even more than I do, which seems almost unimaginable. Perhaps that is what kept me from giving up.
My first college degree was music education, so I know music and enjoy it. But I’m certainly no composer. It is interesting that during those extremely difficult years, new worship songs poured out of me. I put three or four of them to paper and still enjoy singing them today. Those worship songs were birthed from a broken heart that was held together with gratitude for the One in whom I have placed all my hope and faith. It was less about how I felt and more about what I knew. Faith kept me going. And even though I was not thinking about gratitude at the time, my heart was sustained by a spirit of thanksgiving for what I knew was true.
I’ve said it before: We need to look at this life through an eternal lens. It doesn’t take away the pain and hardship, but it allows us to see beyond it. Hanging on to just a thread of hope that is attached to an eternity of glory where every tear will be wiped away and there will be no more death or sadness–that is the source of gratitude that endures in all circumstances. And so, dear reader, if this is a year that has not lent itself to a full-feathered paper turkey, I encourage you to just glue on one little feather with a word like hope, eternity or, as my grandchildren did, Jesus. I sincerely wish you all a “Happy Thanksgiving” that will abide, despite circumstances.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:2-3)
