November 3

When one thinks or speaks of November, no word comes more powerfully to mind than the word “thanks”---it is the month of Thanksgiving.  Other words follow closely---“leaves” (for it is a month of much color), “veterans” (for it is the month we honor them on Veterans Day), “chill” (for it is the month of our first consistently chilly consecutive days), “time change” (for we fall back to standard time in November). But those all take second place. Thanksgiving is November’s big holiday, and to be thankful is November’s number one mandate to us.

            And while the day originated as and still is a national holiday, being thankful is not just an appropriate personal stance for an American; being thankful is a most appropriate stance for any human being. We need to be  thankful for many things:  others who, living or dead, have influenced our lives in significant ways.  Others, family or not, who have had much to do with who we are.  Others, whose names we know or may not know, have touched our lives by the quality of their lives and their living.

            And basic to all of this stands the ultimate word of wisdom given expression in the first verse of Psalm 107: “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.”  Our lives are set in a worthy direction when we recognize that we are creatures together of a God whose goodness is lasting, unfailing, and eternal.

            The word for every day in November is “thankfulness”!

            Oh God, thank you that you are always good, and from that goodness comes our forgiveness, our calling, our journeys in life. Blessed is your name.  Amen.