By Doug Inglish
The word “thanksgiving” (note the lack of capitalization, meaning that this is not limited to the holiday of that name) denotes an expression of something very particular that is in the heart. Pause a moment to think about that.
We throw around expressions all the time with little thought about whether we really mean what we say. Take for instance the phrase, “Great to see you”. Maybe you say something like that just to be polite and it’s not that you are being dishonest because in reality you don’t like seeing the other person, yet actually seeing them is closer to neutral than great.
When my teenage son came home from a mission trip to India, which as we all know, is crawling with cobras, but even worse, took place on a tiger reserve, I was not neutral about seeing him again. When he got home and I said, “Great to see you!”, it was far more than a polite expression. It was a pathetic attempt to put words to something in my heart so profound that it filled my very being.
Okay, so what very particular thing must be in our heart in order to make the word “thanksgiving” more than the name of a holiday? (And no, you don’t get any points if your answer involves food, travel, relatives, or football)
Gratitude. If you don’t feel it, you’re not really giving thanks.
If you do feel it, there are many ways for you to express it. Be a good person. Share. Listen. Sing. Worship. Serve.
Happy Thanksgiving. May you truly feel it in your heart.
–Doug Inglish is RMC VP for administration and stewardship director. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
