Thanksgiving, Day 3

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Thanksgiving: Day 3

Reading:

“Are not five sparrows sold for one penny? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.” [1]

Reflection:

A helpful exercise for growing our gratitude is to stop overlooking the ordinary in search of the miraculous in order to find the miraculous in the ordinary. The Christmas stories in the Bible and stories of Thanksgivings past may sound extraordinary today because they are set in unfamiliar times and places. The stories present their truths allegorically instead of literally or historically. Many of the details in the miraculous events as they are told and understood today have been embellished and romanticized to hide their ordinariness. The daily realities of the ill-prepared pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock would not have been easy or pleasant. In the traditional Christmas narratives, Jesus is portrayed as an infant born under difficult circumstances to illustrate how miraculous events arise from otherwise mundane experiences. Welcome to life on earth!

It is not that miracles do not happen. It is that we ignore everyday miracles in our search for something extraordinary. Our breath, for example. Or our ability to pick up a sheet of paper from the desk; our beating heart; the wide variety of birds at the bird feeder are all miracles we take for granted because they are so commonplace. Miracle work is seldom glamorous: it does not pay well, if at all, and often goes unappreciated and unacknowledged.

Jesus pointed out the problem of having eyes but not seeing. He was not referring to physical blindness but to our unwillingness to look beneath the surface of the ordinary. When we learn to see as Jesus saw, we realize we are constantly bombarded by miracles – and we are thankful.

Closing Meditation:

Name three blessings for which you are thankful. Reflect on these in silent meditation.

Journal your thoughts and feelings.

This daily series, Contemplative Christmas, is replacing my weekly Life Notes until January 6, 2025, when my weekly blog will resume. The thoughts expressed here are mine. To engage with me: ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Luke 12:6