The leaves are falling, the air has that crisp chill to it, and people are beginning to plan their breaks. This can only mean one thing: Thanksgiving season is here. Thanksgiving is a great holiday full of family time, stomach enlargement, and tryptophan hazes that we Americans just can’t seem to get enough of. But there is another thing that this holiday contains, which our culture seems to lack in great quantities: thankfulness.
One of my least favorite phrases thrown around during the Thanksgiving season is “have a thankful heart.” This isn’t because I think having a “thankful heart” (whatever that means) is bad; I think we should always be thankful for what God has given us. The reason I don’t like this saying is because it completely ignores thankfulness and appreciation as they should be.
Let me explain. We live on a campus where everyone is talented in one way or another. We have CAB members, RAs, writers, musicians, preachers, videographers, artists, and many more than can be listed here. The student body participates in coffeehouses, discussions, and performances, which doesn’t even begin to cover the accomplishments of our students. Still, I see a self-confidence problem on campus. So many of my friends with these amazing talents tell me that they have a hard time finding self-worth, and that they end up comparing themselves to others.
This is where having a “thankful heart” doesn’t cut it. Many of us just assume that others know their self-worth, and thus avoid telling them how much we appreciate the things they do. But how can others know that what they’re doing is good if we haven’t told them? How will people be encouraged to continue in what they’re passionate about when all we do is consume what they produce, then walk away? When we live life only thankful for the things God has given us personally, rather than the people, it takes away from the lives of others and from our own lives. Our friends end up feeling as though their contributions don’t matter, and that is a disservice to the wonderful people who surround us.
If you think about it, this kind of thankfulness is even scripturally based. We know we are made in God’s image, and that we are each given differing spiritual gifts. Thanking another person for their contributions to a party, a performance, or even just our friendships and relationships is like telling God that He has blessed you abundantly. He has not only given you the ability to enjoy your own gifts, but to enjoy the gifts that He has given others as well.
In fact, there’s even a verse about this sort of thing. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes to the church in Corinth and tells them not to compare themselves to others. He says that each spiritual gift that God has given them is valuable in its own way, and rather than desiring someone else’s gift, we should appreciate our own, as well as those of others. Paul says that “the parts should have equal concern for each other” in verse 25, and I have to believe that this refers to gratitude for one another as well.
So this Thanksgiving, while you’re sitting around the table saying what you’re thankful for, it’s not bad to be thankful for the nice things you have. But while you’re at it, consider who is sitting at the table around you. They all have gifts and talents that you wouldn’t dream of having, which is a real cause to celebrate. Their uniqueness and hard work in their respective interests allows you to have a greater quality of life, and that is a gift to be thankful for.
Tyger is a junior majoring in inclusive adolescence education and English.