I have much to be thankful for: from a family who loves me to a job I love, from good friends who challenge me to hobbies that give me outlets to express myself, from good health to an understanding of purpose. Sure, I have enough “stuff,” too, but in an ever changing world, the things I cherish more and more are the intangibles, the moments spent with family and friends, the opportunities to make a difference, and the recognition that God has a plan for my life.

I wonder sometimes if we don’t take even our lives of faith for granted, while most of you reading this live in a reasonably safe country, with most of what you need, and the freedom to express yourselves. Do we stop and recognize that God is benevolent, and that everything we have is God’s to begin with? Do we recognize that original sin, the mess Adam & Eve got us into (literally or metaphorically, depending on how you look at it) would still have us in its grasp if it weren’t for Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Sometimes, I need to be reminded to be thankful for the “little things”: the bills being paid, the house being warm, the car starting (all of which take money and grace, too). But today I want to stop and thank God that we have life in the first place, and that God wants that life to be excellent and grace-filled, not that we’d have everything we wanted or be rich, but that we would have enough and that we’d see how we could be a blessing to others.

If I could hold that in the front of my heart, it wouldn’t just be a day I’d celebrate once a year but a lifestyle that could change my perspective. And that would certainly be worth celebrating!

Happy Thanksliving.