Today was Thanksgiving.
I love the slowness and simplicity of the way we celebrate Thanksgiving.
It’s not like Christmas, which requires thought and action ahead of time as we purchase and wrap gifts. It’s not like Valentine’s Day, which has a subtle pressure to have a full holiday celebration in one single meal with no time off to prepare.
Although there is a lot of meal prep to do, usually the food is already decided upon so the mental load of deciding what to eat is gone. In many families, the same people bring the same dishes each year, so there’s even less to think about! Furthermore, the leftovers are a huge part of the celebration! So even though the meal prep is a lot of physical work, it generally has a higher payoff than with some of the other holidays.
Aside from the food, the simplicity and slowness of being grateful is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving. I love that we are encouraged to take a day to reflect and share the beauty that exists in our lives. Especially around the holidays when feelings of despair, loneliness, and hopelessness can be amplified. These simple moments of remembering what’s good can change our whole perspective. These small moments have so much power to change lives. They can bring hope to those around us, and also remind ourselves of the joy that remains even in the hard times.
These reminders are one of the reasons a weekly Sabbath is so important to me. Taking a day each week to slow down, reflect, and celebrate has added such a richness to my life. Even now, I’m experiencing some difficulty in two very important relationships in my life. Some days can be really difficult and isolating, two things that tend to overshadow joy.
Intentional moments like Sabbath reflection remind me that “it’s all going to be okay.” I remember the joy that exists in both of these relationships. I remember God’s faithfulness to redeem the brokenness in my life. My perspective shifts for the better, reminding me of the gratitude found in the past 31 years of ups and downs. Because the truth is, even in the hard times there is always something to be grateful for.
Today was Thanksgiving.
So I gave thanks.
