That’s right! There’s no cartoon today. I saw this scene and thought it would be perfect for this day. Here are some observations and lessons from a Good Friday.
The joy of Easter wouldn’t mean much without the suffering and sacrifice of Good Friday. There would be no resurrection without death. One needs the other.
My wife and I have a cat that is perpetually seeking the perfect lap. She wants the person whose lap she occupies to have her undivided attention. Her goal is to rest on top of our arms so that we can’t do anything but pay attention to her. She has a disconnect between ambition and happiness.
The cat is rarely satisfied. She leaves our lap not because she is content, but because she has given up on having us submit to her desires.
A lot of us are like that. We want something that is just out of reach. We are convinced we won’t be happy until we achieve a goal. Our ambition drives us to discontentment if we aren’t careful.
I too have ambition and If I am not careful, I can allow it to put off happiness. I can be so focused on the future, I miss out on what good things are happening today. A quote by Dale Carnegie reminds me how foolish this can be.
“Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don’t put off being happy until some future date.”
Dale Carnegie
We can get too busy to have fun. We try to hustle today to make things happen for tomorrow. But what if we are missing out on today’s blessings?
Don’t postpone happiness! We can pursue goals and have ambitions without sacrificing today’s well-being.
It is good to have ambitions. But don’t forget we have today to enjoy as well.
What if Mary and Joseph gave us the first example of an entitled Christmas? After all, I’ve lived around farmers most of my life. Many of my family are farmers and not one of them decided it was a good idea to have their baby in a stable.
What if Mary and Joseph spent the journey to Bethlehem complaining about the Roman government and the stupid census? Of all the times for the government to count people so they could be taxed more! Why couldn’t God make things more convenient for them?
And look at all that traffic! Everyone was passing them because an “obviously pregnant woman” would not be able to kick it into high gear. What if Joseph was steaming because they weren’t making good time?
Joseph could have been very indignant that the innkeeper had no room. Even if the baby wasn’t the Messiah, shouldn’t a baby have the right to be born in a clean, peaceful environment? What if Mary gave Joseph a hard time for being unable to hustle and find a decent place for them? Couldn’t the guy book a reservation?
Then what if Mary and Joseph spent the night brooding about their situation when the shepherds arrived? Isn’t it bad enough they have to face the indignity of a stable birth? Sure, if you are stuck in a stable, I guess shepherds would be the logical next step. After all, the innkeeper is busy with all the paying guests in the warm, comfortable inn. Why not have smelly shepherds join the party with their newborn?
Whether it’s a gift we expected but didn’t get or a feeling that we deserve better than this or that, Christmas holiday entitlement can ruin the season. There are plenty of examples of people that make the holidays less than bright. When the season of giving becomes a time of entitlement, there is little peace on earth, or within.
Instead of encouraging a selfish mentality, we can nurture a giving spirit in our children and ourselves. Here are some tips I wrote to do just that!
We have plenty of reasons to have gratitude this time of year. And we can be giving instead of thinking about how things “should be.” May your Christmas holiday be merry and bright.
Today, in the United States, most of us will be gathering around a table and offering a prayer of gratitude. The two simple words of thank you can do amazing things.
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.
Meister Eckhart
A prayer of thanks changes us. We can come to God with no agenda and just simply express gratitude. It reminds us of what we do have and humbles us enough to realize we are more dependent than we would like to think.
All of us have wants and needs. On the other hand, if someone only comes to us when they want something, we start to dread the next encounter. None of us like a relationship where the other person is a taker.
Today, let us give thanks. Give thanks in prayer, and also give thanks to those around us. We rely on others much more than we would like to admit. Let us give thanks in prayer and in the words we give to others.
Think about why someone dear to you is so dear. Tell them. If it is too hard, we can just say, “Thank you.” If they ask what for, just tell them that they mean so much to us. A memory of past generosity is good, but not necessary. Just thank someone for the blessing they are. It does our heart, and the heart of the recipient of our gratitude, a good thing.
Are you ready for Thanksgiving 2021? No? Me neither! A few years ago, I did a post on how to have a happy Thanksgiving. I had a cartoon that wasn’t based on real experience.
I am thankful I never had to go out and shoot our Thanksgiving turkey. Though if you haven’t already thawed the bird, you’re much more likely to have turkey tomorrow if you go hunting.
For 2021, an old-fashioned, traditional Thanksgiving is what most of us yearn for. We had an interesting, if not desirable one last year. Most of us didn’t get together at all or did so through Zoom. I hear the travel for this year is back to pre-pandemic levels.
Yet, I also know some friends who are still dealing with COVID in their families. And there are some of us who will be missing loved ones at the dinner table. In my family, I can think of a couple we will be mourning over this year.
Through it all, my prayer for you is that no matter the situation, you will remember something to be thankful for. It’s okay to mourn the losses. But also remember the blessings. They are out there. Have a happy Thanksgiving!