Thanks, Thanksgivings, & Prayers

The day after Christmas was always a busy day at my family home.  It was thank you note writing, while we thanked people in person who presented us with gifts, the other people who mailed packaged gifts were to be thanked by hand written notes.  The understanding was that no toy could be enjoyed or clothing worn until the thank you note was written, then enveloped, addressed, and stamped, ready to go to the mail box at the end of our block.

I believe thankfulness, thanksgiving, is the pathway to health and wholeness.

I believe thankfulness, thanksgiving, is the pathway to “Life” with a capitol “L”.

It is through thankfulness that we recognize the fruits of the Holy Spirit on others and ourselves – love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, kindness, gratefulness, generosity, and self-control.

It is through thankfulness that we are enabled to be the “instruments of peace” that the St. Francis prayer includes.

Without thankfulness, we are not fully the People of God.

Without thankfulness, we are not the individuals God calls us to be.

So, when we say our daily prayers, be sure to include prayers of thanksgiving.  At the end of the long day, there is no better way to fall asleep than in listing the thanksgivings of the day.