Christmas morning with family. There are few other times during the year as special today. Its a time filled with smiles, tradition, laughter, and gratitude. Gratitude. While we should always be grateful, days like today make us keenly aware of just how blessed we are. These are some of the things that I believe we have to be thankful for this Christmas.
Family
No matter how large or small we should be grateful for family. We should be grateful for the time that we are able to spend with those who are near and those who are some distance away. We should be grateful for the memories we have of those who have gone before us to be with the Lord. Today is a day to be grateful for and celebrate with family.
Health
There isn’t much in life that can be enjoyed without health. There is no amount of money or material possessions that can replace being healthy physically, emotionally, or spiritually. As we find reasons to be grateful today, we should be grateful for our health.
Freedom
Freedom? Yes freedom. We’ve spent the last day or so watching Alex Haley’s Roots on television. In addition to it making me keenly aware of how grateful I am personally for my freedom, it has also led me to understand how grateful we should all be for the freedoms we enjoy. If you are a citizen of the United States you should be grateful for freedom and for the men and women who have fought, bled, and died to protect it.
Salvation
Although this is listed last it is the most important and changes the context of all the things that precede it in the list. This holy day is about faith. Particularly this day is about our faith in Jesus Christ. I know that some have simplified it to simply be a day that represents the celebration of the birth of Christ, but it is much more. The event of Christ’s birth was another event in God’s plan to reconcile humanity to himself. The birth, though important, is made all the more important when viewed in light of what it represents. The path to our salvation was clearly marked out on this day and for that we should be grateful.
This list isn’t in anyway exhaustive, but it provides a good start. With all of the celebrating that goes on today, make sure you take time to articulate why you are grateful. What is it that makes your life uniquely blessed? What is it that would make your life markedly different if it were missing? Who are the people that you are glad to see or speak to on the phone today? Don’t allow the day to pass without expressing your gratitude. What would you add to the list? Why are you grateful today. Live one life.