Thanks For What Again?
Posted on Monday, December 8th, 2008
Thanksgiving is here and gone, but giving thanks never ends, and often takes an unexpected turn. Around our Thanksgiving table this year we decided to get specific. Yes, we’re thankful for our family, our health, and our food, but let’s get down to the nitty gritty. So, we gave thanks with a little more thought.
Giving thanks this year took a little longer than usual. With many thoughtful moments, and a little back peddling by some family members trying to sneak out a “thankful for my family” cop-out, we managed to get to some very real thanks for very real things. Big or small, it didn’t matter. When giving thanks, it’s a great challenge to dig a little deeper and look at one thing today for which you are thankful. That is a practice I hope to continue in my own life every day.
Oftentimes, thanks takes an unusual turn. I am reminded this year of a brave woman who gives thanks for her surgery. We often give thanks for our continued good health, but in this case, the unwanted diagnosis was the miracle that saved her life. Because of the surgery, the doctors found an undiscovered cancer that may not have been detected in time to save her life had she not had surgery. She prayed for a miracle before she was diagnosed with cancer, not realizing at that time that the diagnosis would be the miracle.
My own thankfulness took an unexpected turn last year. How so, you ask? In lieu of a health insurance plan, I had a Flexible Spending Account at my place of employment in which I put a set amount of money in every payday for medical bills. Toward the end of the year, almost all my money remained in the account, which meant I had to quickly spend it or lose it. Because I had to spend that money, I made an appointment for an annual exam. At that appointment, my doctor found a problem that we dealt with immediately. Because of being forced to go to the doctor to spend that money before the end of the year, a potentially life threatening illness may have been averted. If I had health insurance, I most likely would have procrastinated, as I normally do, arranging an annual exam. I can be thankful for this uninsured situation which forced me into spending my hard-earned money on my health.
Yes, sometimes our thanks take twists and turns. We always want happiness, joy, and smooth sailing throughout life. When we don’t get those things, it helps to look at what we gained by an otherwise unwanted event. I don’t believe in a pre-destined world. I do believe that everything that happens in our lives should be examined for both the good and bad it has brought us. Giving thanks for those things, or people, good or bad, who brought us to the place we are right now is giving truly thoughtful thanks.
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