“Give thanks? For what? 2020 has been an awful year! I’ll tell you what I’m thankful for, that 2020 is almost over! Good riddance!” Maybe these sentiments express what you are currently feeling. It is true, 2020 has been a difficult year. All of us have suffered various hardships and emotional duress – some more extreme than others – as we’ve attempted to cope with the fallout of the pandemic. Yet, thankfulness is a state of mind prompted by a sense of appreciation and gratitude. But why do we find it hard to be truly thankful, especially in the midst of trouble? I believe the answer to be because we have become more fixated on what we don’t have, versus on what we do. There’s a song we sing in church called “Count Your Blessings” that speaks to a practice we should all engage in, especially when things aren’t going our way. Here’s the chorus of the song: “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings see what God has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done.” The practice is to take the time to “count” your blessings by naming (acknowledging) them one at a time. When we take the time to acknowledge each individual thing for which we should be appreciative, we’ll find there’s actually much more good than bad surrounding us. As so many other things in life, perspective is everything. So as you gather with your families and/or love ones – whether that’s only a few or many – remember to count your blessings and to give thanks to God for all the good that surrounds you. Happy Thanksgiving!
