Being Thankful

About a week ago on a Friday evening I had nothing special to do so I decided to go to one of the large shopping malls in the area and get some exercise by walking the length of the place on both floors and doing some window shopping. I discovered an incredible store full of Christmas ornaments. It was huge. Since I love Christmas, and for me decorating is the best part, I spent a full hour in the place. I did not buy anything (I'll try to go the week after Christmas and buy stuff at greatly reduced prices). But the evening put me into the warmth and excitement of the holiday season. In fact, I came right home and baked two batches of Christmas cookies which are now in the freezer waiting for the right holiday event!

But whoa . . . before we get to Christmas we must pause for Thanksgiving. When you think about it, these two holidays are almost the opposite of each other. Christmas is for giving and getting gifts, while Thanksgiving is for showing gratitude for what we have received. Both holidays are celebrated widely in secular society, yet both are deeply spiritual in nature for different reasons. I'd like to share a few Thanksgiving reflections with you.

"On this Thanksgiving Day, as we gather in the warmth of our families, in the mutual love and respect which we have for one another, and as we bow our heads in submission to divine Providence, let us...pray for his divine wisdom in banishing from our land any injustice or intolerance or opposition to any of our fellow Americans, whatever the color of their skins, for God made all of us, not some of us, in His image. All of us, not just some of us, are his children."
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973);
From "Simple Blessings for Sacred Moments" A collection by Isabel Anders, Liguori Publications, 1998.

Of course President Johnson was in office during the height of the civil rights movement. Our country recently honored and celebrated the life of Rosa Parks, who might be called the mother of modern civil rights. The country has come a long way since she refused to give up her seat on that December day in 1955.

While I'm thankful for that, I realize that we still have such a long way to go to eliminate prejudice and discrimination toward minority people in our land - whether they be people of color who have lived here for generations, newly arrived Hispanic or Asian immigrants, our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, or the Native American peoples who helped celebrate the very first Thanksgiving day. For as President Johnson stated, "God made all of us, not some of us, in His image."

If you visit and read this blog, I invite you to leave a comment indicating where you live and what you are thankful for this holiday season. And I give thanks for you!