Another Thanks Giving

Another Day Along the Way
Thursday, November 24, 2011

Another day,
We can glance back and remember our Thanksgivings of yesterday.
Recall seasons of laughter, meals of feasts, conversations of authenticity.
Ball games watched and ball games played.
Moments in time to remember:
Those family members and friends who are no longer nearby.
Those family members and friends who are here.
Remembering. Rejoicing. Reflecting.
Forgiving.
Giving thanks.

We can pause and notice our Thanksgiving of now.
Realizing the wonder, the often ignored, the familiar.
Watching the lives nearby and living a life of reality.
This moment in time to embrace.
A segment of life we will never visit again.
Now. Only now do we experience now.
The noise and silence are in the moment.
The crowds and aloneness are in the moment.
Giving thanks in the moment
Is the choice to make
As we eat and experience the now,
As we give thanks.

We can gaze forward and hope of our Thanksgivings of tomorrow.
Tomorrows of promise, of possibilities, of purpose.
Tomorrows of prayer.
Waiting for miracles. Hoping for accomplishments.
Unknowing what stands in a distance.
Unfamiliar with the land, the world, the days, the minutes.
What and who will be at the table?
Where will the table be sitting?
Each instance – though different and familiar –
Brings us back to yesterday and today.
How can we prepare for then?
How can we taste a joy in each moment
And arrange ourselves for unknown
Thanksgiving days on years awaiting?
By living with thankful hearts in today.

Along the way,
Chris Maxwell

Prayer Surrendered: Often, while rushing to get ahead, we get behind. The wrapping and the eating and the singing and the meeting pack calendars, leaving no room in our inns. We hide hurt; we deny truth; we lose that loving feeling. Events of temporary worth rob time to invest in permanent value.
(Chris Maxwell: Unwrapping His Presence)

How can you get involved during Epilepsy Awareness Month? How can you learn more?

Purchase copies of Chris Maxwell’s books Changing My Mind or Unwrapping His Presence. If you tell Chris your desire to partner with epilepsy groups, he will donate a portion of his funds to an area epilepsy support group. Email Chris at CMaxMan@aol.com

Watch the four YouTube interviews to learn from Chris Maxwell’s story:

http://ec.edu/news/campus-pastor-interviewed

Listen to the Epilepsy Advocate Radio show, hosted by Chris Maxwell:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/epilepsyadvocateradio