GRATITUDE BEYOND GIFTS
Rev. Pam Cosby Brandman
As I write this message, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I am grateful that two of our adult sons, along with our daughter-in-law and soon to be daughter-law, are arriving soon to share Thanksgiving with me and my husband Michael. I am grateful for the beautiful Tahoe landscape of towering pine trees surrounding the deep blue lake covered with white caps stirred up by the wind. I am grateful for the delicious meal that will fill our table tomorrow – and all the many people who made it possible: the cooks in our family kitchen; the farmers who grew the vegetables, sweet potatoes and turkeys; the people who processed and transported the healthy food; the grocery store’s team of stockers, deli workers and checkout clerks; the generations of cooks who have shared their favorite recipes with their children; the artistic people who decorated the festive table; and the members of my extended family who have shared loving and memorable Thanksgiving feasts every year. A joyful and loving weekend is ahead!
Most people love Thanksgiving because we take time to stop and be grateful for all the blessings in our lives. Some are rewards for work completed, some are gifts that our families and friends have bestowed upon us, and some are just there because God has created beauty everywhere! On Thanksgiving Day, we say a sincere “Thank you!” The best gifts, however, are when we give – or receive – love, joy and acceptance. These gifts last forever in our consciousness.
In his book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, Eckhart Tolle says: “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” When we acknowledge the good we already have, we let go of any sense of lack and, instead, recognize the abundance that surrounds us. This puts us in the midst of the Infinite Divine Flow.
All of that Divine Flow comes from Spirit. This Source is not outside of ourselves. It is part of who we are! As we recognize the abundance all around us, it awakens the abundance within us. Our role is to circulate that inner abundance, share it with the world and watch it multiply. This Thanksgiving, I invite you to give gratitude for the gifts of abundance that fill your life, inside and out. Know that you are blessed and you are a blessing to the world!
Love and light,
Rev Pam
