Thanksgiving - Recognizing the BETTER, Because of the WORST

“As they left, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.”  (Luke 17:14-16)

 There are a lot of things that – before now – we have taken for granted as individuals and as a culture.  But all that we’ve experienced this year has hopefully also invited and encouraged us to recognize and be thankful for the “little” things of life (that really aren’t so little), and to recognize God’s presence in these things.

Back in March of this year, Roman Catholic author and speaker Laura Kelly Fanucci penned the following that (pardon the metaphor) went “viral” on social media without ever mentioning the source of our problems:

“When this is over, may we never again take for granted

A handshake with a stranger

Full shelves at the store

Conversations with neighbors

A crowded theater

Friday night out

The taste of communion

A routine checkup

The school rush each morning

Coffee with a friend

The stadium roaring

Each deep breath

A boring Tuesday

Life itself.

When this ends

may we find

that we have become

more like the people

we wanted to be

we were called to be

we hoped to be

and may we stay

that way — better

for each other

because of the worst."

--From Laura Kelly Fanucci’s March 2020 Blog HERE

May we never take for granted the simple things of life, even when our world and our way of living feels threatened by life itself.  Instead, let’s consciously choose to “return and praise God with a loud voice,” and then to live out our thankfulness by the way we live our lives! Happy Thanksgiving!  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!