rancherwriterpoet

Thanksgiving

It may be a few days early to write about Thanksgiving, however, it is never too early to give thanks. Look around you, there is someone standing there that would appreciate a word of thanks. The clerk at the store, the postal worker, the bank teller, the pastor; these are but a few individuals you may consider and I am sure there are numerous others in your world. Seeing a smile on another person’s face will bring a smile to your own.

But consider this, do we really understand the significance of this word? Breaking it down, we know what the word, “Thanks”, means. “A word of appreciation for something received or for an act of kindness”. It is an expression of gratitude. But when we offer the phrase, “Thank you” is it merely perfunctory? Does it come with sincerity or is it just another word in our vocabulary? Much of the communication that takes place in our society today is thoughtless repetitive phrases without authenticity. For example, one might say to another, “How are you?” or, “How have you been?” never really wanting to know the answer. We have no time for the answer. So the obligatory words fall from our mouth, without forethought.

“Giving”, is also a word for which we know the meaning, i.e., to make a gift of material value or perhaps that act of kindness we spoke of earlier. This is a bit different, however, in that giving is usually done with forethought. It is a rare occasion if a gift is given without first thinking of the one to whom it is intended. “Thanks” and “Giving” are combined to form not just a word, but also, an act of expression. However, it seems to me to be more fitting to say, “Thanks, for giving.”
Continuing this “Thanksgiving” soliloquy, I sorted through a few additional thoughts. You will notice the first letter is a letter of the alphabet.

The Alphabet of Thanks

Thanks, for giving…

Apples, I love apple pies,
Babies, for the twinkling in their eyes,
Car horns, to sound a warning noise,
Dogs, for fetching sticks and squeaky toys.

Thanks, for giving…

Elbows to bend and wash my face,
Fathers, for showing children grace
Golf, a senseless sport that doth confound,
Hamsters, for making little wheels go round.

Thanks, for giving…

Ice cream, the special homemade kind,
Jello, a spineless gel that quivers the mind,
Kindergarten, for learning all I ever need,
Limousines, and drivers who don’t know how to speed.

Thanks, for giving…

Maple syrup, a tonic for the tooth,
Noses that grow considerably after youth,
Onions, a noxious kind of root,
Pajamas, not your usual grey, business suit.

Thanks, for giving…

Quilts, pieced together with spirited devotion,
Romance, passionate love set in motion,
Salt, crystallized preservative to suit the taste,
Texas, homeland, native born and God placed.

Thanks, for giving…

Ukuleles, a miniature of tuneful sound,
Valleys, and the mountains that surround,
Waltzes, my favorite kind of dance,
Xylophones, instruments of chance,
Yankees, even so, I’m thankful still,
And lastly,
Zenith, the high point in God’s perfect will.

This alphabet of thanks is but a small effort on my part. These words have no special or significant meaning other than recognizing that my thanks are due to the One Who sustains me. Your words may be different, but I recommend you write your own alphabet of thanks. Start with the Gift of God, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. This Gift, by far outweighs my attempt of gratitude. Without Him, Thanksgiving can never be complete. I am glad He thought about me.

Just “food for thought”
Have a great “Thanks, for Giving” Day
Pete Robertson