Out of My Mind Thanks giving passed on

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

— Holding hands around the table, the family gathers and begins with an a cappella rendition of “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow,” the doxology. Then, the prayers of thanksgiving begin with one and pass to another, ending with the designated person.

The ages range from a toddler to an octogenarian.

The prayers vary in length and sincerity.

The tantalizing aromas of the turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and yeast rolls beckon.

The sight of chocolate and pecan pies on the counter make the youngest want to go straight for dessert.

Gathering around the table for the Thanksgiving feast, families share traditions often passed down for generations. The elders remember their own childhood Thanksgiving celebrations and possibly silently mourn their parents and grandparents who’ve passed on. The presence of children remind the older generations of the cycle of life. Young adults full of promise eagerly discuss the day’s events, their schooling, their plans, their jobs, the football game, with little realization that they’re simply carrying on the same traditions carriedon for many generations.

There is sadness for some, maybe for many. A mother mourns the loss of her 16-year-old daughter buried yesterday. A young mother, heavily pregnant mourns the loss of the baby never to be born. A child mourns the loss of a home through divorce that changed everything in his world.

Life is a paradox - a seemingly absurd mixture of good and bad. When in the midst of the trying times, we seldom see the good that may arise from it. But, hopefully, as we mature, we begin to see that even the trials bring about joy when properly viewed.

Nature teaches us that a seed dies when it’s planted. It bursts open and is no longer recognizable as the seed it once was but as a new plant bursting forth with new life. That single seed will yield a harvest of abundance.

Scripturally, we’re taught the same principle about our own lives. We are not designed to live for ourselves alone.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal,” John 12:24-25 (King James Version)

In the gospel of Luke, chapter 17, Jesus tells of 10 men with leprosy who begged for mercy. He healed them, and only one returned to him to thank Him.

“Were there not 10 cleansed? but where are the nine?” Jesus asked the one grateful leper.

We live in a day of diminishing courtesy. It seems that manners are passé.

Manners, etiquette, are simply a means of acknowledging the other person’s importance. If we practice good manners and require them of our children from the earliest age, we teach them to think of others and not just themselves.

“Thank you” and “please” are not obsolete.

One of our family traditions is that when we gather for a family celebration - whether it be a birthday or a holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter - our prayers are a circle of prayer insteadof just one person praying. When it’s a birthday, each of us says a prayer of thanksgiving, blessing and encouragement for the birthday celebrant.

It may be as simple as a little brother saying something silly like “Thank You for my sister’s silliness” or a sister saying “Thank you for my brother’s goofiness.” The more mature among us will usually express a little more thoughtful prayer stating some specific good character quality of the person honored.

In Romans 1:21, it is written: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Let us not be foolish thinking we are alone responsible for our good fortune and acknowledge thatwe are dependent - and grateful - for the influence and provision of others in our lives as we celebrate this holiday.

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Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County. A native of Louisiana, she moved to this area in 1980. She has nine children and one grandchild. She can be reached at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 4 on 11/24/2010