Thanksgiving

 It's always humbling for me to hear the things for which people are thankful. I feel bad for having many things that I don't give a second thought. People love comparing us to people in Africa, saying, "oh, look how much we have compared to them. We need to be more grateful." Although I think we need to be thankful for everything we have, I think there is a truer sense of thanksgiving in people who barely have anything than people who have a feast that is simply part of a tradition. People who expect much will only be happy if they receive greater than or equal to what they expect. The same is true for people who expect little. The difference is the expectations. And yet there seems to be a undercurrent of feeling in my church and many others that we are expected to be far more grateful than people who have less. This expectation is not founded in logic. People who have less are often more thankful for the little they receive than people who have much and also receive much.

Take, for instance, the poor African man who is on his last loaf of bread (or whatever they eat in Africa). Upon receiving a turkey for Thanksgiving, he will be ecstatic. His American counterpart will pay a trip to the local Wal-mart to purchase such a turkey without giving it a second thought. The difference is in the level of expectation. If the African man expects to starve, the turkey will come as a welcome relief. If the American man expects to pick up a turkey because he does it every year out of habit, then it will be just that: a habit. This doesn't make him a bad person for not being as grateful as the African man; it simply makes him normal.

I can remember my mom telling me that I needed to be grateful I had a bed. I felt guilty because I honestly didn't feel that grateful. I knew I should feel grateful. I even thanked God for my bed, though, perhaps without the proper sincerity. I've come to realize that not appreciating my bed like I should is normal. I was raised with a bed. I've never been without one. It's only natural that I look at it as just another part of life. 

But it is good to look around us and list all the things for which we are thankful. Take any one item, subtract it from your life, and imagine life without it. Often, we are forced to do this anyway due to power outages and natural disasters. These events can be beneficial in that respect. The point is to realize how many things you have that make your life easier. The list is long.Though, as I've explained, this long list does not mean that we should be more grateful.

 Here in America, we are focused on tradition, especially in reference to Thanksgiving. We have to have our turkey with all the trimmings, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and any number of dishes that families have included as their traditional Thanksgiving dishes. This sense of normalcy is healthy. In a world that dangerously fluctuates every day, having that one thing you can lean on for a sense of balance is stabilizing. 

Some people may feel that becoming entangled in tradition distracts from the goal of Thanksgiving. The goal of Thanksgiving, however, is, not to remember the pioneers and all that (though remembering them is good), but to recognize that for which we are thankful. What better time to realize that than when we're having a veritable feast? We surround ourselves with food, family, and games as a reminder of the good things in life, things for which we are thankful. We may encounter times in life when we see little to be thankful for, but not this time of year. This time of year we enjoy ourselves in remembrance of all the things with which we are blessed.