Let us be thankful

  • Published
  • By Maj. Douglas A. Collins
  • 94th Airlift Wing Chaplain Office
DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. --  Don't look now, but in just a matter of weeks, 2011 will be another year in the history books and we will be talking about it in past tense.

I will speak for myself only, for those who don't like to think of such things, but I have noticed that the older I get and the more my body slows down and the more the clock seems to speed up.

I remember wondering as a child if the week would ever end or asking why the school year was so long.

Today it is more of a challenge just to see if I can keep everything straight in the time that I have much less think about tomorrow.

One thing this month provides, is an opportunity to remember the things that we value and give thanks for in our lives before the holiday season kicks in.

Thanksgiving should be more than eating and football, although these are important.
The reality is, I could not tell you the score of one game from last Thanksgiving and I would like to forget how much I ate.

What I can remember is the things that made life more enjoyable and for that I am thankful.

For years, experts have said that animals have an amazing calming effect on people, especially among those in hospitals and nursing homes where life can be challenging and people look for comfort.

When one strokes a kitten or pats a dog on the head as they just sit there and enjoy the moment, it's hard not to let their peace rub off on us.

This is a small example of a moment, we can be thankful for the little things in our lives.
The problem for most of us is, in the rat race of life, thankful thoughts can slip away in the cares of the moment.

It's not that we forget to be thankful, but that we fail to take time to remember what we are thankful for.
I would encourage you to take the time to renew your life everyday in the three areas that matter the most: spiritual, physical and mental.

One way in which we can touch all three of these areas is to spend some time each day, each week or at least each month, taking time to reflect on things that you value but often times are too busy to acknowledge.

So this Thanksgiving, before the plate is full and the television is blaring, find a corner or a quiet place and make a list, either mentally or tangibly, of the things which you are truly thankful for.

Nothing is too small or too big for the list. Also, take time this month to remember that you were made with a need to be a part of the world as a whole.

In doing so, you connect with your spiritual side, your body will find peace and relaxation, and you will feed your mental aspect with positive encouragement.

When I was young, my pastor said, in the middle of a prayer, that he was thankful for his new red truck. The reality of it was the truck was an old hand-me-down that he was able to buy for very cheap. To him, it was needed and worthy of a few words of thanks.

Never underestimate the little things; they are the blooms that keep us going each and every day. When we are thankful, we are also by nature grateful. We realize our life is enriched by not only what we do and give, but by the remembrance of those things done for us.

Have a blessed holiday season with those that matter in your life.