Bjcorbin's Blog

Didn’t have internet on Thanksgiving, so this is getting posted late.

There’s a syndicated radio show that features the fictional character, “Earl Pitts”; and he starts out each commentary with the line, “You know what makes me sick?  You know what makes me so mad I just want to…”  He then goes on a facetious rant about one thing or another.  Even though his subject matter can be pretty off the wall, I think that most people can relate to the idea of things that drive them crazy.  As a matter of fact, I believe that if you ask most people what “makes them sick” or “makes them mad”, they’d immediately be able to reel off a whole list of very specific issues.  But ask people what they are thankful for, and it may not come as quickly or specifically.  It seems to me that human nature bends rather easily toward looking past the blessings, and counting the costs.  So even though it may seem trite, I’d like to pass along a list of things I am thankful for.  You’ll probably notice that a lot of them aren’t particularly spectacular, but I’ve found that it is the everyday things that ultimately determine the quality of our lives.  I’ve also chosen to forgo the obvious items of God and my family.  If you’ve ever read anything that I have written, you know that those are the two most important things in my life, but I thought it better to speak of things that may go unnoticed.

I’m thankful for my neighbors.  People like Jeremy and Holly, who put up an awesome basketball hoop in their driveway, and let every kid in the neighborhood play there (at all hours of the day and night); or Barb, who invites the younger kids to her house during the summers for Bible lessons; or Sherie, who bakes for everyone, gives rides to everyone, and always has a half dozen extra kids at her house.  What a blessing that our children have gotten to grow up on this block, with so many extraordinary people.    I’m thankful for our local schools, and the dedicated teachers/ coaches/ administrators who have poured their energy and understanding into our young people.  It is often a thankless and nearly impossible task; yet repeatedly we’ve seen these educators rise up to meet the needs of one of these kids.  I’m thankful for the Pastor of my church.  A man that is gifted enough to make a name for himself, but who thinks that there is another name that is more important than his.  A guy you’ll find sitting with your sick relative in the wee hours of the morning (even though you didn’t call him), or who’ll show up after midnight at the emergency room (when he reads on Facebook that your kid is sick).  A guy who thinks that how he treats his wife and kids matters more than what he wears in the pulpit on a Sunday morning.  I’m thankful for a job that has supported my family for many years, and for bosses & co-workers who’ve made it more of a blessing than a chore.  I’m thankful for the police and firefighters in our community, who risk their lives to make it safe for the rest of us.  And for our military service members, and their families, who sacrifice so much for the greater good of our nation.  I’m thankful for Foster parents, who give hurting children a home.  I’m thankful for a warm house on a wintery night; I’m thankful for a cupboard full of food; I’m thankful for…

You get the idea.  If you stop and look around, you may find that you are incredibly blessed.  That’s what “Thanksgiving” was meant to be about.  If you give it a try, you may find that you want to do it more than once a year.