I am thankful to God, my family, my church, my country, my friends and my schools, all of whom have influenced my life for good. All of these except God are imperfect because all are human institutions, but the God-imparted love is perfect.
I am thankful God/Jehovah/Yaweh, Who is Love, Who created a beautiful, orderly world, imparts life itself, and manifests Himself to man.
I am thankful for a family who nurtures me and I them.
I am thankful to my church and its schools which teach Biblical knowledge, divine understanding and inspiration to me.
I am thankful for friends who support me and I them.
I am thankful to have been born in a country that embraces freedom and patriotism and attempts to keep us safe from harm of those who would hurt us.
I am thankful for schools and those who teach and enlarge the knowledge begun in the family.
I am thankful for a home, food, and clothing–the daily necessities.
This list of thankfulness could go on and on. It is not often some of us assess just how blessed we are. Thanksgiving Day reminds us, even with all the turmoil in the world, brought closer to home on the infamous 9/11, that we as a nation and as individuals are truly blessed and have such bountiful blessings.
These are simple thoughts, not new, and may seem trite to some, but, as giving thanks, these reminders should be fresh and new in our hearts and minds.
Thanksgiving is more than turkey. It is more than family gatherings. It is more than a cursory "Thank You, God." It is a day of national consciousness to thank God, but also to thank those human entities who have contributed much, even sometimes their lives, to make and keep us safe to enjoy the freedoms we so often take for granted.
On this Thanksgiving Day — and every day — give thanks.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Thanksgiving is a time to thank both God and others