As a postscript to the posting I made earlier today (October 4) about the Franken family in Seasons of Refreshing I am compelled to write more! So, what else is new?
I set forth into a dark and rainy night to drive the exactly 100 kilometers from their doorstep to mine in Fergus. I knew my mind would be going over lots of things over the next hour and a bit. I had not given much thought to the fact that I'd be drawn repeatedly to the concept of gratitude over the course of the drive. Perhaps the fact that our celebration of Thanksgiving is at hand helped.
I reviewed some of the things that had happened in the previous few days and found a veritable garden of gratitude welling up inside of me!
My experiences in Haiti over the past thirteen and a half years have taught me a world of things about: a) not taking things for granted even though I still do! b) giving thanks for the glorious (and yes, at times crazy!!) lives we in the developed world live c) about understanding that life really, really isn't "all about me"-in fact I should be a useful but side bar player on the stage in the theatre that is my life.
In this season of thanksgiving and harvest we should focus on those words. Our lives are rich. Someone reminded me today that at any given meeting or gathering here in Canada most of those present would be in the top 5% of income earners in the entire world-maybe even the top 1%!
With gratitude comes responsibility-toward others not just yourself.
Immersed in an understanding of overflow I found that I was soon home in Fergus. My conclusion at the end of this trip is that anytime is the time for more thanksgiving and gratitude.
As we expand our practice of thanksgiving we soon discover that the number of things we have to be thankful about has expanded in proportion to our thankful attitude! May the cycle continue!
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