Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture.
~Kak Sri
I was going to write a simple Thanksgiving message, but a death in my family delayed this post and reminded me: whose life is truly simple? So, here goes!
Anyone who is an artist, no matter the medium, will tell you that any work of art starts with inspiration. As an artist myself, my best work is accomplished when I am inspired. It is easy to be inspired when things are going good, when the sun shines; the days are warm; money is good; health is fine; and all is well. It is also at those times that I find myself more thankful. Finding grateful is easy! So easy, that I often forget to be it, I forget to express it, and all too often I take it for granted.
November is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. We celebrate the holiday with food, family, and fun. If you are like me, you look forward to cooking, sharing, laughing, enjoying a great football game, and having an extra slice of pie! We also rejoice in thanksgiving. We spend a little more time on reflection, making sure the people in our lives, both family, friends, and acquaintances, know how much we appreciate them, how much we love them, how much we are thank them, and how much they mean to us. We go the extra mile expressing thankfulness, showing gratitude.
But, for some of you, including me, finding grateful isn’t easy right now. For me, it was the untimely death of my sister, my best friend. For you, it might be the death of a loved one or something else. It may be that your finances are not what it needs to be; unemployment still knocks at your door; or illness ravages the body of a loved one or yourself. Where is inspiration in that! As a child of God, I know what I am called to do (I Thessalonians 5:18). But my mind (what I know I should do) and my heart (what I feel like doing) are conflicted. One is about feeling, the other… doing; one is easy, one is hard; one hinders finding grateful, while the other doesn’t. As you can tell, I have a quandary here!
As I sit here, writing this, I ponder the future. It is an uncertain one at best… and then again, it is not. I think about my sister, and through tears, I see her beautiful smile. And I know what she would tell me. It’s OK to feel with my heart, but I must choose to find grateful. Shawna would tell me to paint a beautiful picture, and make sure I add some blue (her favorite color)! So, I give thanks with hues of yellows and reds because I was blessed 52 years with my sister. I throw in strokes of oranges and greens for the many nieces and nephews wrestling matches, basketball games, baseball games, football games, soccer games, plays, championships, parties, holiday celebrations, movies, my class field trips, phone conversations, TV shows, NFL games, and so much more that we shared together! And then I finish it off with shades of blue for her love for God, her beautiful smile, infectious giggle, easy-going personality, listening ear, patient heart, and giving spirit. I sign it with her zest for life and the fact that she touched everyone she came in to contact with. My sister, my best friend; I will miss you!