Thanksgiving in August? - Why Not?

Recently, something beautiful happened during a chapel service. As we entered into our time of worship, I asked people to call out something for which they could be thankful to God. Not only did I hear grateful hearts telling God how happy they were for “family, life, a beautiful place to live, sunshine, rain, friends, music,” and much more, but I also could see a lovely radiance on the faces of each person speaking out.

Thankfulness is a beautiful way to live. It’s more than just a mindset. It’s a way of life. It often happens to those who understand the value of accepting what life brings their way each day. We all face difficulties and challenges. Each day is different from the next. None of us can ever predict the changes in life we have to encounter. Accepting these changes will lead to a happier way to live. I heard it once said that “It’s not happy people who are thankful—it’s thankful people who are happy.”

Life has brought changes to my life in the past couple of months. Changes great and small, sorrowful and joyful; and at the end of the day, I am grateful to God for his faithfulness and for friends who have inspired me to keep on striving through life’s changes. I am so grateful to God that we are designed to need each other, to love each other and to lean on each other every day.

It’s as if our beings have and inner flame that burns. However:

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” --Albert Schweitzer

The inner flame in my life was flickering. But, my friends kept fanning the flame through their encouraging word. Several of those people were you who are reading this article. For your kindness and encouragement, I am so grateful!

If you look around you, there are people you may know whose “inner fire” has gone out. Through life’s disappointments, changes, health conditions, misunderstandings and the like, the flame dwindles into a puff of smoke. But the Spirit of God can rekindle the soul. We have the Spirit within us and can share the love, the joy, the peace, the gentleness, the goodness and kindness with family and friends, neighbors and strangers; with whoever crosses your path - reigniting the spark within each of us. And so we find a beautiful way of living. Thanking God for his Spirit within us, giving each of us a wonderful purpose for living life; finding that our greatest purpose for living life is to love God and each other.

Written by Chaplain Lane Skolgund-Anderson