My Sunday Thought for 112617: Be Thankful for Life!

Someone once wrote, “Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality, and likes that turned into love.” As for me, I like to wake up each morning and thank God for another glorious day in paradise, and another chance to excel in life. When it comes right down to it, of what importance is anything without life to make it so?

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite - only a sense of existence.”

-- Henry David Thoreau(1817-1862), author, philosopher

I have only truly hated one person in my entire life and, in doing so, learned a valuable lesson about hate - let it go!  In letting it go I found forgiveness for myself, and for her.  I also found a place in my heart where I can love her again and, in doing so, I have found peace in the understanding that it was not life wasted, it was life learned.  I am grateful to her, thankful for the knowledge she gave me, and the children and grandchildren I would not have without her.  I am thankful for the man I became and all the riches which life has delivered to me because of her, not in spite of her.

Everything we encounter in life is a lesson to be learned about life.  Whether it is good or bad, it is a lesson in love, tolerance, patience, forgiveness, reason, acceptance, and so much more.  Above all, it is a test of our faith; faith in ourselves, in our beliefs, our family and our friends.  Life is about the experiences during the journey, not about the ultimate, inevitable, destination for which we have all been blessed.

“Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings.”

-- J. Robert Moskin, historian, author

Some of us will arrive at the destination sooner than others, having learned their lessons quickly.  They will become enlightened enough to understand their journey ended much too soon.  They will discover, along the way, "time" is a human construct and, as such, does not exist.  When this life ends, we will begin another and another after that, and so on.  Once we grasp this simple concept of the infinite, our definition of time will be of less importance than experiencing, and learning, what each life has to offer.

My day to day life is now blessed with an extended family of dear friends which I met upon moving to the Gulf Coast, several years ago.  I have always made friends easily but have always kept them at arm's length, a distance which these friends do not abide and, therefore, shorten at every opportunity.  These are people who are there when you need them, come when you call, and you don't think twice about giving back to them what you can.  We laugh and cry together, with little care about asking them for a much needed opinion, or showing our individual or collective ass to each other or those around us.  God bless them all! 

Life here is also blessed with my mother's family which I have been remiss in getting to know better, a slight that I will correct.  I will endeavor to get to know them better and enjoy their company much more in the years to come.

We should not concern ourselves with the minutia of life, the collecting of material crap which occupies so many of us, and the dissatisfaction with our lot.  Less is truly more when it comes to real happiness.  We also need to resign our membership in the League of the Perpetually Offended; to be constantly finding offense leaves little time to find happiness, and if constantly finding offense, if making other people miserable simply because you are, makes one happy... there are some serious psychological issues which need to be addressed.

“The most fortunate are those who have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy.”

-- Abraham H. Maslow (1908-1970), psychologist

Life, in and of itself, is the most any of us can hope for, and we are seldom thankful for it or try to make the most of it.  There is a commercial on television which has a man opening the door of his cabin to begin a hike in the woods.  He looks out at the beckoning woodland, and then bends down to turn the door mat around so he can the "WELCOME" written on it as he steps, once again, into life.  I like that; a reminder to welcome yourself into life, each and every day, as you leave the house. 

What went before is cherished history and what come next is always a mystery, even with the best of plans.  What is important is this moment, this space between the ticks of the clock, time which we, all too often, anchor ourselves to.  Live in the moment, the now, concerned not with what has gone before or what is up ahead, and certainly don't be concerned with what is happening now.  What happens... happens.  And don't concern yourself over those things in life over which you have little or no control.  If you aren't happy then change your circumstance and be happy; it is a choice. 

Happiness is a state of mind, not an object.  Our life is what we make of it.  If you wake up with the attitude that life sucks, then life is going to suck.  Yet, each new day is a gift of life.  Each new day brings new challenges and lessons, experiences to be cherished and tasks to be performed to ensure our continuing survival.  Without life...  well, when it comes right down to it, of what importance is anything without life to make it so?

“Where there are no God, we would be in this glorious world with grateful hearts and no one to thank.”

-- Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), poet

As I stated at the beginning of this post, I like to wake up each morning and thank God for another glorious day in paradise, and another chance to excel in life.  Each morning is a chance to busy one's hands in creation, to meet other people, to create happiness and to make a positive difference in someone else's life.

This holiday season, give heartfelt thanks for what you have, and even that which you don't.  Give thanks for the challenges which life offers and the companions which join us on our journey.  Give thanks for the ability to give thanks, for having life.

Thank you, God, for another glorious day in paradise... and another chance to excel in life!

“One moment of prayer, of weak worship, confused contrition, tepid thanksgiving, or pitiful petition will bring us closer to God than all the books of theology in the world.” 

-- Peter Kreeft, Catholic philosopher, apologist, professor

Editor's Note 

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.