Giving Thanks, A Christmas Adventure

 

Did that title throw you? It sounds like I’ve smushed Thanksgiving smack dab into Christmas, doesn’t it? I’ll explain.

For years now, I’ve been on a quest to learn how to live Christmas with Jesus instead of doing Christmas the way the world does. Many of you have been sharing that journey with me through my Advent devotionals. During that time, you’ve also joined me in another passion of mine, 30 Days of Thankfulness. It’s been such a privilege to have y’all, my readers, join me for more than a decade of Novembers, reaching out to those around us with tangible expressions of Thanksgiving. No doubt, we’ll have 30 Day drives again in the future. This year, however, I’m inviting you to join me on an entirely new adventure, a Christmas adventure. Our goal will be the same, to say an emphatic “no” to commercialism and a passionate “yes” to His Presence. Only, this year we’ll do it by focusing on living gratefully.

Indeed, it may seem ironic for our gratitude march to begin in December rather than November, but it makes perfect sense once you think about it. The more grateful we live, the less susceptible we’ll be to the Christmas Crazies. We’ll have two weeks of daily devotionals that will begin on the first day of Advent, December 2^nd, and culminate on Dec. 15^th.  By then, we’ll be knee-deep in the season, and hopefully, well-positioned to live it out gratefully.

I actually wrote our gratitude study a few years back. Around that same time, a brilliant wordsmith was releasing a book on the topic that blessed many readers around the world. So, with the exception of sharing with the girls at my home church, and writing a few blog posts on the subject, I kept my findings close. The lessons I took away from that study, however, continue to challenge me—and change me. The good news? When I remember to breathe in and be grateful for this moment without trying to live in the next one, I get to drain the sweetness from precious moments, and I can sense God tempering the pain of the hard ones. The bad news? I’m a remedial learner.

Like an addict recognizing the need for accountability, I’m spilling my guts towards the goal of recovery: I can still use the moment I’m in like a holding cell.  I’m guilty of short-changing now with thoughts of later. Sometimes it’s over the excitement I feel about something good I’m anticipating, other times it’s dread, but both can make me miss the now.

I remember when I first became intrigued by the Greek word “Eucharisteo.”  At its core, the word speaks to me of a way of life I began calling Living Thanksgiving, a grateful acknowledgment to God of this moment, right here and now. I began whispering these words in good times and in bad, “Thank you God for this moment, right here, right now.” It has helped me establish the habit of Living Thanksgiving, but frankly, I need a refresher course.  I do.  So, I’m going to walk back through my notes. Should you want to spend some time embracing the idea of Living Thanksgiving, subscribe here for the daily emails. Each morning I’ll have a short devo for you. No homework, no memorization. Just a few daily words of encouragement. Subscribe below and I’ll see you soon~

Hugs,
Shellie