Nov. 14, 2012 — Thanksgiving is coming up next week and most of us will heartily embrace that uniquely American tradition by gathering family around us and by eating too much.
But it should mean more to us than a big meal and time off from work.
The gospel song, “Count Your Blessings,” has always been one of my favorites and not just at this time of the year.
I believe the chorus of that song says exactly what all of us should be thinking and doing that day and every day.
Count your blessings;
name them one by one,
Count your blessings,
see what God hath done!
Count your blessings,
name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
In the spirit of that great song and to encourage all of us to approach this special season with an attitude of gratitude, I want to share a few of the blessings of my life.
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A large, rowdy and still growing family which has survived another year of joys and sorrows but has never stopped loving each other.
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My wife, sweetheart and best friend combined in one incredible woman, mother and grandmother who faces serious medical challenges each day with a positive outlook.
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The ongoing privilege of being part of a newspaper organization staffed by dedicated men and women who represent all that is good about the free press in America.
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Opportunities to be involved in good causes that benefit our communities and teach us how to work together for the common good while reminding us that anything can be accomplished as long as no one cares who gets the credit.
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The great teachers I encountered in high school and college who influenced me to never stop learning and who convinced me that the only dumb questions are those you never have the courage to ask.
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The men and women along my journey whose personal examples inspired me to be a man of faith who truly believes that all of us are called to help do the Lord’s work whenever and wherever we find those in want or in anguish.
As we gather with our loved ones around the dinner table next Thursday, I hope we can remember the sentiments of these lines of verse from J. A. Shedd:
He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
