Thanksgiving is a day of gathering within relationships. It's a time when couples, families, and friends join together in appreciation for the blessings that they receive, but also for the gifts of their relationships. Although Thanksgiving day is a gracious celebration of harvest, it is also a catalyst for love and bonding between people. Thanksgiving has the ability to help bring people closer together in their relationships, and to help them to be more loving through appreciation. Thanksgiving is also an opportunity to reflect upon your marriage relationships with gratitude.
This Thanksgiving take some time and be mindful of all the people in your life, but especially your marriage partner. Perhaps as you look around the table, look intently for what there is to be appreciated about each person that is gathered amongst you. Yes, even the ones that you might have had some difficulty relating with. Set aside any differences you may have previously had, and by loves way, give them some grace. Intently look for the positive things about everyone, it's an opportunity for something to be revealed to you.
No matter who you look at you should find something to appreciate and love about them, there is a reason for all the people in your life. You have been given an opportunity to love each of them, and on Thanksgiving day that alone is something to be grateful for! All too often we choose to observe the 10 percent of the negative relational issues and we miss the 90 percent that's positive, or we overlook how we can actually benefit from that ten percent. Our perception is not always so clear, during our difficult times there is often a pearl forming.
You can comtemplate all the wonderful things that there are to love about your husband or wife on any day, it should not be reserved for Thanksgiving day. However, since it is Thanksgiving, not thanks receiving, you should be able to think of many things about your spouse that you are grateful for. Perhaps you might have become so familiar with them that you have lost sight of some things……… some things that you now take for granted. Thanksgiving is a good time for the renewing of your appreciation. Make an effort to look at all the little things that you may overlook, you will probably find that the sum of them is bountiful and abundant.
Lastly, consider the Thanksgiving meal and the time that went into it. Give thanks for the food itself by way of grace, value the efforts it took to gather it, and consider the preparation time associated with it. Our thanksgiving plates are full of hours of loving endeavors, and much like our marriage relationships, we sometimes miss all the love that brought it together to begin with. Gratitude is expressed by words and actions, but without actions the thanksgiving dishes remain soiled, and without expressions of gratitude, the love of our spouses goes disregarded.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!