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, but I don’t really have that picture. 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 very free holiday. My parents have died, so I get to be 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.
The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is a wonderful story because it illustrates how powerful it is to give thanks. It is in Luke 9:10-17. There were many crowds around Jesus at that time listening to his teachings, plus some healing work going on. It was late in the afternoon and the crowd was hungry, but they were in a remote place. Jesus told his disciples to give them some food. The disciples said they only had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, for about 5,000 people. He told the disciples to have the crowd sit down in groups.
“Taking the 5 loaves and the 2 fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate until they were satisfied, and he disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.”
Just notice the part where he took the 5 loaves and 2 fish and gave thanks.
Just notice the part where he took the 5 loaves and 2 fish and gave thanks. Notice what happened – he gave thanks for what they did have. To a rational person, obviously they had nowhere near enough for 5,000 people. But he validated that they did have enough. 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.
They had their own Thanks Giving dinner.
This holiday and that passage make us realize how little we do that. Usually we look at our circumstances – whether it be circumstances of money, job, relationship, living situation, or whatever – and we tend 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.
Usually … we tend to invalidate our circumstances and ourselves…
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 with.
We forget that we create from whatever energy level we are setting.
We’ve all had the experience of getting or making a gift for someone 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 could 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 are 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.
What if you were overflowing with thankfulness?
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?
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, you can see that unless he and the disciples were very present, they could not have created all that abundance. That’s because they would not have been present to receive that abundance. By being thankful you are bringing yourself into the present. You are acknowledging and validating your havingness, at whatever level it is, and you are bringing in permission. You are receiving and accepting what you do have. 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.
This Thanksgiving, see if you can set your energy according to what is says in I Thessalonians 5:16: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Even if you are in a situation where normally you would be complaining, or unhappy about, give thanks anyway. This way you will always stay present and are tapping into the flow of energy to allow you to create from validation.
As always, thanks for supporting Psychic Horizons & the Church of Natural Grace with your sustainable giving! It truly makes a difference, both for us and for you.
Best regards,
Rev. Laura Hopper
Originally published November 22, 2018
