Why I am not participating in the November Thankfulness Exercise

In previous years I have happily posted things I was thankful for each day in November on Facebook.  It served as a wonderful reminder about the things I am thankful for.  The first few days it is easy to think of things that you are thankful for, but by day 20 it becomes a little more of a challenge to still think of new and different things.  As we are now in the middle of November, there are lots of friends on Facebook who are once again posting something they are thankful for every day, which I think is a good discipline.  This year, I am intentionally not participating.

It is not because I am not thankful for things, I am very thankful for the many, many blessings that God has given me.  It is also not because I can’t think of 30 things, or because I think it is bad thing to do.  The challenge for me is that when I have done it previously, starting on December 1st, I stopped thinking about things I was thankful for.  It felt a little like after spending 30 days thinking of things I was thankful for I could then check that off my yearly list of things to do and I didn’t have to think about it again.  I think that it is great, and that thinking of something every day in November is far better than just thinking of one or two things on Thanksgiving, but I am still not participating.

My challenge for myself this year is a little different.  I want to be thankful every day.  Not just in November, but from December – October.  We tend to get so caught up in our details, challenges and problems that we easily lose sight of the multitude of blessings that God has given us.  Yes, we have challenges and problems that we need to face and that justifiably take up parts of our time and mental capacity, but we should still not lose sight of the blessings of God.  Even in the midst of hardship and challenges God is still blessing us.  As we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I want to be thankful each and every day.  God has loved me far more than I will ever deserve, He sent His only Son to die for me, Jesus suffered the death of a criminal on the cross for my sins, God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and daughter, a home, food, etc.  Surely there are at least 365 ways God has blessed me that I can think of!  Yes, I want to be thankful in November, but I want to be intentional about being thankful in February and May and September too.  If you are participating in thinking, writing, or posting about something you are thankful for every day in November, please keep it going, but don’t stop there.  Be thankful every day for the many, many, many ways that God has, and will continue to, bless you! 

“Praise the Lord.  Give thanks for the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  Psalm 106:1

God bless, Rev. Liz Arakelian