On Being Thankful

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, I’ve been thinking again about how important it is to be grateful for what I have. It shouldn’t take a holiday for us to be thankful. Numerous times scripture calls for us to be thankful in all situations.

Today I am thankful for the many people in my life, especially my husband and my son. But I am also thankful for the rest of my family and the many gifts they have (and I’m not talking about the kind of gifts you can wrap up in pretty paper – that comes later in the year).

My husband, for example, has the gift of loyalty and responsibility. When something is his job to do, he will be sure to get it done to the best of his ability. That is a really great gift and character trait to have.

My son has the gift of caring and compassion (something you don’t always see in a 14-year-old boy). Last Saturday he got up and made me a fresh pot of coffee because he didn’t want me to have to drink the old, cold stale coffee that was left over from earlier in the morning. He has always had a concern for others and the gift of hospitality. This is also a great gift and character trait to have.

My sister has the gifts of creativity and organization. She has planned and organized a wonderful spa weekend for our older sister’s 60th birthday, including handmade invitations, gift bags, and a surprise (I think it’s a – oh, I guess I better not say) for the rest of us. She scheduled all our spa appointments and made all the arrangements, including giving those of us who are less organized small assignments. This is truly a wonderful gift and character trait to have.

My father-in-law has the gift of being able to fix and make things, as well as the gift of patience. Recently he and my mother-in-law came to our house for a weekend visit. In a brief afternoon he was able to fix our grandfather clock that hasn’t worked in probably ten years. We sent it out last year to a clock repairman, but when we put it back together it only ran for a few hours. My father-in-law was able to figure out what the problem was and fix it. By the way, he is the one who built the clock in the first place. This is a terrific gift and character trait.

I could go on and on, cataloging all the gifts of my family members, and I probably should lest someone feel left out. But I just wanted to illustrate how everyone has gifts to be thankful for. When we benefit from the gifts and talents of our family and friends, we should be thankful. I know I am, and not just because Thanksgiving is looming around the corner.