I am Thankful

Well, it is the eve of our holiday season. That being the fine day of Thanksgiving. How appropriate that it would be the 1st in a trio of holidays in little more than a month.
As it has approached, I have found myself pondering my life & the things I am thankful for. It causes me to realize what I really have to be thankful for in the next of the series of holidays, Christmas. Thanksgiving is a living out of the "reason for the season". Had it not been for the Christ child, I would have nothing to be thankful for, because all that we have & are is a result of His birth & ultimate sacrifice.
I have lived such a blessed life! I have enjoyed a bounty of provision. Even in times of lack, it has been more than most of the world has ever seen. I was raised in the best of times.... times when you could leave your home for a week & never lock the door....times when neighbors watched out for you, people visited one another without having an invitation & people were willing to share what they had when you didn't have....times when families still considered each other their best friends & worth spending time with, when it wasn't a major feat just to be able to spend 2 hours together....times when every child knew every extended member in their family, what their relationship was, where they lived & what they did for a living...times when the young took care of the elderly @ home because they could no longer manage by themselves... A time when it wasn't considered a sacrifice, it was the norm....times when going to the drive- in movie in the summertime with a bag full of popcorn & jar of koolaid was considered a big treat to be anticipated...times when wintertime meant hot chocolate & mama's oatmeal cookies, curled up in a chair reading a book, then sharing what you read with your brothers & sisters... a time when supper meant everybody at the table, present & accounted for, sharing the days events & thoughts with everyone there...time with no TV, no DS's, Ipods, cell phones, play stations or any other gadget greater than a transistor radio. Yep, it was the best of times & I'm thankful for that... but time marches on.
In the march of time, we have accomplished great things in this country, the land of the Free. We now communicate on these little black boxes called computers. 1 person can do the work of 2 - 3 people with machines. We can travel across the world in less time than it used to take to get to another state . Running water & indoor plumbing are the standard now. We have a restaurant on every corner for even the pickiest of eaters... We have kitchen gadgets that make preparing a meal seem like child's play...We have a TV in almost every room of the house...we no longer have discrimination among the races...almost any child can get a college education if he tries hard enough...we have government programs for almost any need, so there's no call for poverty...Gardens are no longer necessary for survival, they are "chic" & a novelty. Canning??What's that?? cooking?? what's that??? We have made great strides in so many ways but as my daddy always said, " everything that shines ain't a diamond, & everything that glitters ain't gold."
I am so thankful to have lived in those times.... the joys, the sorrows, the struggles, the successes & accomplishments along the way... even the failures because they made me appreciate the successes even more...those times helped me understand what was so important that Christ would live & die for.....people, you & me. It gave me a foundation of caring, loving & helping that would last a lifetime. Not that I have always been a perfect example of them but , that foundation is there & I try.
With that foundation, I am thankful to be here @ this time. I have grandbabies to help get that same foundation... there are more people today with a lack of knowledge of the Christ who died for them...there are more hurting people today...people who have lost their way & just need someone to light the way...there are more lonely people today... who just long for the touch or smile of a friendly soul....there are more hungry people today... who just need someone to notice & help. I am so thankful for the foundation that causes me to want to help. Maybe that's why we are here today... to be the answer to someone else's prayer.
As you sit down today, in your warm homes, with your good meals, your loved ones & friends around you, stop for longer than a second to give thanks to the Creator for that which He created...a time such as this for someone such as you who can help someone else find the way to Him.
Wherever you may be, know that I love you all & will be missing you bunches. Have a great Thanksgiving Day & God's blessings be to you all.
Signing off..... O'Wise one