It seems that in our culture and society, the focus of Thanksgiving is usually all about the food and the big bird that is in the oven. Don’t get me wrong, I love, love, love Thanksgiving – the turkey and stuffing, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potato casserole, the green bean casserole, the fresh, warm rolls and of course all the pumpkin pie and apple caramel crunch pie I can get my hands on. But, now that I have children, my perspective on Thanksgiving is much different than when it was just my husband and me. I now find myself wanting to move “beyond the turkey” to help teach Paige and Taylor what it means to be thankful from a very young age and to helping them recognize how God has blessed them.
In my desire to help develop a spirit of real gratitude and thanks in my children, which is no small task, I first and foremost must make sure that my own heart and mind are grateful. As a parent, I understand that that which I would hope to pass onto my children must first start with me after all and unless I model an attitude of gratitude to them, how will they really learn to be thankful? So, with that aim in mind, I’ve found myself reflecting on what’s been going on in my life this year, particularly as a wife and mother. Those of you who are regular readers of Twinsanity know much of what has been happening in my life and in our family’s life already so I won’t spend a lot of time on the specifics in this posting….
Here's what I will say though...as I’ve been reflecting on my life, I admit that it’s really easy to get sidetracked with stuff and daily life. It’s easy for me to forget what’s truly important and to lose proper perspective. As Thanksgiving is drawing closer, I find myself renewing my focus on all the wonderful blessings that I have in my life and what God has done for me and my family this year. (Of course, it shouldn't take a traditional annual holiday to make me pause and reflect but alas that's what I find myself doing).
I am truly blessed; and I’ve been reminded of a very simple, yet profound Bible verse:
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12).
When I stop to think about this verse, I begin to find real contentment because I’m reminded that I’m exactly where God wants me to be at this point in my life and that contentment really has nothing at all to do with what’s going on in my life but everything to do with what’s going on in my mind. That’s an important distinction.
So, while I am practicing my own attitude of gratitude this year for Thanksgiving, I’ll also be trying to give Paige and Taylor some special opportunities to begin to learn how to have thankful hearts. We say prayers as a family with Paige and Taylor at every meal, and since they’re young, it’s a short and sweet prayer that we say with them and it goes simply:
God is great
God is good
And we thank Him for our food
AMEN
The girls know this prayer well and enjoy folding their little hands and praying. They love praying so much that usually after the “AMEN”, both girls will clap their hands and smile and say “YEAH”. It’s very sweet!
Well, I am beginning to build on this prayer to now include a few more simple verses and am trying to expand the girls’ prayer ever so slightly as we look ahead to Thanksgiving next week to:
God is great
God is good
And we thank him for our food
By his hands we all are fed
Give us this day our daily bread
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you, God, for everything
AMEN
It’s a prayer that I remember from my own childhood. It’s short and easy to recite and memorize, perfect for little tots like Paige and Taylor.
So, we’ve been practicing our new prayer together a lot lately. It’s so precious to watch how Paige and Taylor take to heart their little prayer and how they try so hard to do their part of folding their hands and bowing their heads. I snapped a few quick photos during prayer today…I just couldn’t resist! Today, Taylor was being a little shy with saying her prayer so Paige did the honors of saying the prayer. While it’s such a small thing, to me, it’s a small sacred moment to watch my little ones praying.
Taylor (L) and Paige (R) Praying Together
