Giving Thanks

Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.
~Oscar Wilde~

This is the time of the year when we're supposed to give thanks for all that we have but with so many people out of work and others barely eking out a living, it's harder to find something in our lives for which to be thankful.

I don't think any of us are unaffected by the awful economy to which we are subjected.  I know I see it in my own family, my friends and even personally.  I'm hearing (and saying) "I can't afford it" a lot more often these days.

This is the worst I have ever seen it in my life.  I think about my grandparents and what it must have been like for them to have lived through the depression while raising five kids.  I have a whole new respect for them knowing what they went through.  I can't imagine having to suffer through rationing basic supplies and making meals when there's no food in the house.  I totally get it now why so many older people who lived through the depression are so tight with their money.

It's my personal belief, though, that the things for which we should be thankful are neither money nor the possessions it can buy.  We should be thankful for the good things in our lives that can never be taken from us.  We should be thankful that God, in His infinite wisdom and boundless love for us, has given us all that we really need - not what we want, but what we need.

Everyone has something for which to be thankful whether they realize it or not.  Do you have a roof over your head, a warm bed to sleep in at night and food on your table?  Do you have a family or friends who love you?  Are you reasonably healthy?

Times are tough - maybe you need to look harder for something good in your life.  Are you homeless sitting on a street corner begging for change?  Guess what?  You still have life in your body and can have hope in your heart.

God never promised us an easy ride but He did promise us that He would take care of us if we would only ask for His help and have faith in Him.

My greatest thanks go to God for His love and for giving me the ability to have faith.  I'm thankful that I am loved and have the capacity to love in return.  I'm thankful that God gave me the family and friends He did and I'm thankful that I have the ability to know what is most important in this life.  What are you thankful for?