When my kids were younger, at Thanksgiving time, we would go out in the yard and bring in a branch. I cut leaf shapes out of colored paper and the kids would write things on the leaves for which they were thankful. So we would get “mom,” “food,” “Monkey” (our dog), “candy,” and so on. We adults do the same kind of thing. Perhaps before eating your Thanksgiving meal, you have gone around the table, each person in turn stating something for which he is thankful. Often you will hear “my family,” “my health,” “my job,” “my salvation,” etc.

Of course, we should be thankful for all those things, from candy and worms all the way to our families and our very lives. But recently I have found myself grateful for things we don’t usually hear mentioned around the table.

1. Humor

One is that we have a sense of humor. There are funny things that happen to us in this world. We tell jokes and stories because they make us laugh. We remember funny events for a long time (I don’t think my older kids will ever forget the rooster chasing their little brother through the yard) and will find ourselves telling them to our grandkids. God didn’t have to give us this joy, but He did.

2. The Seasons

Another gift from God is the seasons. This recent autumn was one of the most beautiful of my life. We did a lot of driving in October this year, and the colors we saw on the hills, the mountains, and just walking around in a park were so stunning. The green leaves, the rain, and the warmth of spring and summer bring an entirely different feeling than the chill of winter and the silence and the sparkle of snow. 

Each season showcases different animals and birds. The cardinal stands out in the white of winter, and the robin’s song gives us hope that the new life of spring is just around the bend. We think of bunnies and new calves and ponies in the spring and look for the tracks of deer and fox in the snow. Maybe you could say we needed the rain and the sunshine of the different seasons for life, but the beauty and uniqueness of each season is just a generous and unexpected gift of God.

I will wrap this up with three more reasons next time, but if you have an unusual idea or thing to be thankful for, please share it with us in the comments below!

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful! ❤️

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.