Being Thankful

I'm not sure we always know how to be thankful. Sure, we say "Thank God" about a hundred times a day, but do we mean it. And mean it like we're supposed to be meaning it?

I see a generation growing up with the feeling of entitlement. And they are getting that from their parents. Generations before us truly were thankful for what they had. Food, shelter, employment. And when they said "Thank God" it was with a truly grateful heart. No one had ever just handed them anything, therefore there was no expectation of it. Not so today.

Maybe the current economic situation will serve as a reminder to folks. Be thankful you have a roof over your head, many are losing their homes. Be thankful even if that roof is at a shelter. Be glad you have food to eat, whether it comes from your kitchen or a soup kitchen. Many will go to bed hungry tonight. Be glad when you roll over in the morning and don't have to work that Monday morning there will be a job to go to.

I could probably launch into some of the reasons that some people have found themselves in the economic situation they are in - wanting bigger houses, nicer cars, unwilling to work at jobs they deem beneath them. Maybe a reminder of what to be really thankful for is in order. I know it doesn't apply to everyone. Sometimes people are victims of circumstances beyond their control. But that is a thought for another day. Today is a day to be uplifted.

So, hug your family tonight and say a prayer for all those families who have a gap. Maybe a loved one has died, can't travel, or maybe is one of our brave men and women fighting somewhere in the world for our freedom. Freedom we should be thankful for. It is what this country was founded on. But we forget. How quickly we forget.