“thanksgiving:” a word of action

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.  ~W.J. Cameron

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.  ~Robert Caspar Lintner

If you have been following me for awhile, you know that I am a believer in “just be”–not going out and doing so much that I get overwhelmed or overextended; rather, I have learned from my little farm how to just be with Nature and the Creator which in turn has calmed my spirit and led me down new paths I would never have imagined.

And yet, in this new role of just being, there is one place in my heart that has taken on more “doing,” and that is thanks-giving.

I put a hyphen there so that you will see the word for what it is–an action.  It’s not a simply a state of mind, it’s not meant to be an afterthought.  It is a way of life.

Now, I will admit, it is hard to give thanks when Japanese beetles decimate your yard or a raccoon terrorizes your chickens.  But before farming and gardening, I would have been emotionally devastated at both, and more than likely refused to plant grapes again or take on a new set of chicks in the spring.

Connecting with Creation has taught me more about life’s blessings than any other path I’ve journeyed. I’ve learned to slow down and be grateful for the small things, and I’ve come to appreciate all of God’s blessings in the day-to-day.  What I’ve discovered out there on the farm is that we receive gifts every day–yes, every day–if we are open to recognizing them and appreciating them.

But I’ve got a secret for you.  Yes, come closer so you don’t miss this part–the key to the joy and fulfillment the Creator’s blessings bring is this:  living a life filled with gratitude for all of those gifts each day.  Not just holding it in your heart and keeping it to yourself; rather, it’s about being appreciative in word and deed.  Not just thanking your Creator for what you’ve been given; rather, showing your Maker how grateful you are by paying it forward.

So while I am still singing the praises of “just be,” I’m also embracing a life filled with “just thanks-give.”  I hope you will too.