So. I know many people who start lisetening to Christmas music when Halloween is done. “But, there IS no Thanksgiving-genre of music!” they say. “Besides, Christmas music is like the best EVER, and most people only listen to it for a month!” My retort, of course, is to change the words of any song that pops into my head to have something to do with Thanksgiving. I mean, when there’s SNOW on the ground, I start singing songs to myself like, “Let It Snow” and “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” But there’s no SNOW on the ground! (Although, I do confess to you, that I started singing related songs when I was walking across campus last night, changing the words to, “Where’s the snow, where’s the snow, where’s the snow..” It worked.)
It is Thanksgiving when we acknowledge all that we’re thankful for. What comes to mind is session from the Life Options conference I attended last weekend. The story was of some big-shot with Campus Crusade who was flying in from Florida. The guy who picks her up asks her how her flight was. She starts telling of all the things that went wrong, being kicked off a flight, having complications having to do with that, turbulence, etc. The guy who picked her up was like, “You deserve better than that!” She stared at him and responded, “I deserve hell.”
I believe that, as mortal beings, we all deserve hell. We are sinful to the core and I at least know I sin more times a day than I’m even aware of. But Jesus came down to earth and gave us the GIFT of salvation. Everything we have now? It’s a GIFT! So, I’d like to say thank you to the One who spoils me with such a great life. I have my family, my extended family, and we are so close! I love them all! God has granted me with many wonderful opportunities, from being able to even be at Augustana, to Project this summer and all the people I’ve met. There are so many gifts I haven’t even acknowledged as gifts from God, but they ARE! I don’t notice; I take things for granted. I love my life, and am so thankful for everybody and everything in it!
The point that was being driven home at the conference from that story is that we cling to things we think we deserve, when everything we have is a gift. I have been trying so much this year to be able to let go of control, my firmest grasp, and let God take care of it. Because I’d say he has done a spectacular job when I have. I’ve been learning to let go of other things, as well, but I just want to shout a thank-you for EVERYTHING! I’m thankful for you, my readers, and I’m thankful for people who help me out when they do. Gah! It just makes me so gosh-darn EXCITED!
Smiling through the not-yet snowy and still sunny weather, Anna =)^2
“It’s beginning to feel a lot like Thanksgiving. All the grass is brown. It’s the color of fall, and through it all, I feel like break is…needed.” … “Oh the weather outside is colder, and I feel I’m getting older. But I don’t really know, so where’s the snow, where’s the snow, where’s the snow?” … “I really must leave. Baby it’s cold outside. Let me go, please. Why go and freeze outside. But I’m wearing sleeves. You’ll blow away, the wind is ice. Through buildings I’ll cut through. Staying here is nice. I really gotta go, dude. I don’t like your attitude. Fine, I’m leaving already. ‘Cuz baby it’s cold outside!” … “Oh come, all ye turkeys, come and we will eat you! Come, ye, you fat and wide, we’ll eat up your meat. Come, don’t be scrawny, we will wait for you to fatten up. O come, let us enjoy you. O come, let us devour you. O come, let us speak over your leftovers, because you’re the tradition.” … I could go on. I’ll stop.
**Also note that everytime I sing these songs, the words change. Just fyi. And no, I’m not crazy. Much.
Anna E. Meyer 
Reblogged this on Smiles Squared and commented:
A year ago, I wrote this post. I thought that it was good to reblog, and though it’s slightly dated, the message is pretty much the same. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!