When I was growing up we had a coffee mug that my dad would pull out whenever one of his kids had an especially difficult day. It was not the most beautiful mug by any stretch of the imagination - it was just a white ceramic mug - but written on the front of the mug, with tiny black letters packed full of wisdom, it read:
Don't let the turkeys get you down
For whatever reason, this mug seemed to make our current frustrations a little less...well, frustrating. Maybe it's because of the way those ridiculous cartoon turkeys, with their outstretched wings, wide-eyed stares and exaggerated poses, seemed to dance across the mug, making complete fools of themselves. But I suspect that the uplift in my spirit had less to do with silly, dancing turkeys, and more to do with the perspective those words gave.
Life is full of turkeys. They come in the form of difficult people, unexpected bills, broken washing machines, wrinkled shirts and sour milk. They have a tendency to peck at us at the most inconvenient of times, leaving us feeling frustrated, angry and bitter. Once we get to that point, once the turkeys get us down, we have a hard time seeing the good in life. We begin to dwell on the stuff that we don't have, from the lack of money in our bank accounts to the torn jeans in our closet, and we become ungrateful for the things that we have been blessed with.
Family and Friends.
Healthy Children.
Food to eat.
Shelter.
Clothes to wear. By the way, have you noticed that people will actually pay a lot of money for shredded jeans these days? I never knew that, after three years of wear and tear, my jeans would be fashionable today. Now I don't have to buy new ones!
Having a heart of gratitude changes our whole perspective. We become compassionate toward the hurting, suffering and poverty stricken. We begin to see that success in life is not about having the most money or being the most popular or even well-liked person. Instead, we view success as having the courage to go without the latest and greatest, in order to lift up the people who are considered the least among us, who have been beaten down by the turkeys, and who, through their poverty, can no longer stand up on their own.
I can't think of a better way to show the Lord how grateful we are for His provision, than to give it away.
May our hearts be transformed this Thanksgiving Day, as we put aside the stress of the pending Christmas season, and instead give thanks as we dwell on Philippians 4:6-8.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
Have a beautiful Thanksgiving,
Anna
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