Trashy Thanksgiving...

You know how life is - you're just as busy as I am.

So, while I don't ponder what I'm truly thankful for JUST on Thanksgiving weekend, it is a pretty natural time of year to make a concentrated effort to create a list. 

And, it really is easy to make a "Thankful" list. I'm sure we've all done it at one time or another. And, I'm sure our lists would have similarities. They would probably read something like this... 

I'm thankful for: 

my family 

my health

my job

my spouse

my freedom

my faith (and maybe this would be higher up on our lists)

my home

clothing and... don't forget accessories ;o)

food

laughter

friends

sunshine

my church

my pet

my favorite color

the seasons

fluffy white clouds

yummy smells

chocolate

...and our lists could go on and on and on and on and on. Easy Peasy.

There is, however, another type of "Thankful" list that doesn't read anything like the above mentioned. And, it simply isn't so easy peasy to create.

I'm thankful for:

my illness

my lonliness

my child's sickness

my job search

my broken heart

my addiction

my unsaved spouse

my financial stress

my infertility

my past

my flooded basement

my wrecked car 

my runaway teen

my troubled marriage

UGH.

I know. It kinda feels like I just pulled a fast one over on us all, doesn't it? Like I threw us a big ol' guilt trip.
Hey, I get it.

It's really difficult to be thankful for hurtful, confusing, stretching, scarey times in our lives.

But guess what?

We don't have to be because God only asks us to be thankful DURING the circumstances, to rejoice IN our sufferings.

God is the Giver of all good gifts. And, He sends or allows every last one of our life's situations... for... HIS... glory.

Neither list is about me. 

Neither list is about you. 

Just Him.

My goodness - He trusts us!

A songcame to my mind while I was writing this post. Part of it goes like this: 

I've a clock that won't work

And an old telephone

A broken umbrella, a rusty trombone

And I am delighted to call them my own!

I love them because they're trash

Recognize it?

Good old Oscar the Grouch.

My challenge to us, today, is to take some time this weekend and write out our "Thankful" list. 

Let's include the happy, sad, pretty, and trashy things. Let's include it all. And let's delight in them all. Because they are our own.

And we are beautiful. 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Take Six readers.

~lisa


PS.  Take 5 With Kathy will resume next Sunday.