November 20233
I’ve always loved Thanksgiving. It’s not a religious holiday; you don’t have any spiritual obligation, and you can do what you want – at least technically. Some people feel they have to visit family. I have done many things at Thanksgiving – stay at home and invite people over, or go to someone else’s house, or go to the beach, or go on a short vacation. I had been visiting my parents at Thanksgiving for years after they retired to LA because I didn’t know how much longer they’d be around. But I relate to Thanksgiving as a very free holiday. My parents have died, so I’ve been more of a free spirit again.
I love Thanksgiving because of its name – Thanks and Giving, or Giving Thanks. The concept of giving thanks is very powerful, and I like it that we have a formal day of Thanks Giving.
It’s important that we give thanks from within ourselves…
It’s important that we give thanks from within ourselves – from the God within us. If we give thanks superficially — maybe being polite or because it’s what we’re supposed to do – it doesn’t resonate. Coming from within, from the divine within us, is like throwing a pebble into a lake. It ripples out – which, of course, then attracts like energy to us.
Often we look at our circumstances – whether it be circumstances of money, job, relationship, living situation, or whatever – and we tend to invalidate our circumstances and ourselves for being in those circumstances because we want more or something different.
We forget to validate and give thanks for what we do have. We forget that we have the God of our Heart within us, and that is how we create and attract. It is not because of our external circumstances. This holiday can remind us about how to give thanks.
We forget that we have the God of our Heart within us…
Think of something in your life right now that you are forgetting to validate, and that you might be invalidating. Maybe something you constantly wish was different, or that you compare yourself to others about, or something you complain about a lot.
We forget that we create from whatever energy level we are setting. If we are constantly invalidating our money situation, for example, you can imagine what kind of energy level we are setting with which to create money. If we are constantly invalidating our job or relationship situation, you can see what kind of energy level we are setting to create those things.
If we are constantly invalidation our jobor relationship situation, you can see what kind of energy level we are setting to create those things.
We’ve all had the experience of getting a gift or making a gift that we thought was wonderful. We were excited about it and couldn’t wait to give it to the person for which it was intended. But then that person never acknowledged it or appreciated it, or didn’t thank us for it, or maybe didn’t even like it. We know how we felt – really disappointed and let down. You might even have thought: why bother giving them a gift in the future? You might try it again but if that person has the same reaction, you don’t want to keep beating your head against the wall.
I had a friend once who was having a hard time. I gave her money, time, help. There was never a “thank you” in return, or even an acknowledgment. I know I should have taken responsibility for my choices and given just because I wanted to, but I also realized that I wanted some sort of thank you – some sort of validation that something had taken place. It felt empty that my giving had been taken for granted, and I wanted to stop giving. Eventually I realized that she was unappreciative and I did stop giving.
Wouldn’t the same be true for you? You give yourself a job, a certain amount of money, or whatever – and you are unappreciative; in fact, you can be downright invalidating. You never thank or acknowledge yourself. All you can think about is how you want something else. I would guess that you get pretty sick and tired of trying to give to yourself. Maybe you even stop giving, too.
On the other hand, what if you were “overflowing with thankfulness” as it says in the New Testament? What if you were overflowing with thankfulness about your money situation, and about all the things in your life that you could be thankful for?
What if you were overflowing with thankfulness?
Now say hello to that situation in your life you were looking at a few minutes ago, and let go of any invalidation, complaining, or wishing things were different. Allow yourself to validate and appreciate the situation, that you’re learning something from it. Besides, you created it. Be thankful for what you do have in that situation.
In the story of Jesus and the fish, there was a big crowd who was hungry. Jesus and the disciples had 5 loaves and 2 fish, and gave thanks. He gave thanks for what he did have. To a rational person, obviously they had nowhere near enough for 5,000 people. But he validated what they did have. He acknowledged God. He brought that blessing very much into present time and then into their present situation with a great deal of certainty. Then what they did have multiplied many times over.
Jesus and the disciples acknowledged the God within, and by acknowledging how they really gave thanks, they were present to receive the abundance. They validated their havingness. Only through this thanksgiving and this receiving can you than create a space for more – just like Jesus with the loaves and fish. You tap into the flow of energy as it occurs when there is thankfulness from within yourself, from the God within.
They had their own Thanksgiving dinner.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Best regards,
Rev. Laura Hopper
