Tuesday, October 27, 2020

No Complain November

 


November is approaching quickly. It’s one of my favorite seasons with one of my favorite holidays. Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving! It has the family, food and fellowship of Christmas but none of the pressure of gifts. (I get stressed out by gifts! 😩) Also, I ALWAYS root for the underdog. Thanksgiving really is the humble underdog of the holidays. Smashed in between Halloween and Christmas, it gets very little respect. Unfortunately the spirit of the holiday, giving thanks to our Creator for our many blessings, is often overshadowed by family fights and football...very little respect, indeed.


This year seems especially bad...what with the global pandemic, political division, racial unrest, financial insecurities, quarantine and social isolation. What is there to be thankful for? 


Now is not the time to blame, withdraw, retreat or lose hope!! It’s Thanksgiving season! I recently re-read the book Pollyanna and watched the old Disney movie. (The book is better, by the way.🤓📖❤️) You may think you know the story, but I challenge you to read the book again!! When I read the book, I realized Pollyanna was not a naive nitwit who was absurdly wishful as some tend to think of her. On the contrary, she was blessed with the ability to recognize the value of being faithful to gratitude. She was a THANKFUL person. She liked to play what she called the “glad game.” In every situation, no matter how dire, she liked to find something to feel glad about. While this sounds a bit silly, it was actually a courageous reaction to the enormous tragedy she had faced. Pollyanna was not ignorant of the tragedy of her life. She knew that she was poor, that other people had parents and dolls and clothes that fit and did not have to live off the mercy of the Ladies’ Aid. The glad game gave her the courage to rise above her tragedy, and eventually it puts to shame the self-obsessed adults in the town who believe they are struggling, though the lives they perceive as horrible in fact contain more than a fair share of blessings. That sure sounds familiar, doesn’t it? 




The Thanksgiving holiday, Pollyanna and the state of the world got me thinking about gratitude. 

William Law once said, “Could you, therefore, work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit; for it heals with a word speaking and turns all that it touches into happiness!” 

Now that’s quite an endorsement. Feeling thus encouraged, I’ve decided to start a No Complain November Challenge!! Times are extremely trying and everything feels rather hopeless, but if we take William Law’s words to heart even the ability to work MIRACLES would not do as much for us as being grateful! As a Christian, my goal in life should be to obey God’s will. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess 5:16-18) That’s pretty clear, isn’t it?! 

 

“As Christians, we were chosen for this time in history to make a difference—to be the salt, the light, and the love of God manifested in everyday life. It will not be easy. We will need to think clearly, pray deeply, and draw near to God with the promise that He will draw near to us. Our God will give us all we need. We cannot control what has or will happen in our country, or our circumstances—but we can control how we respond!” (C. Ingram) 

Won’t you join me in the No Complain November Challenge? 😊 Practice the spiritual discipline of gratitude with me!!  Don’t be a whiner or complainer. Play the glad game like Pollyanna! Join me on this journey to joy! 




If you’re interested in connecting by post during the No Complain November Challenge, I’d love to send you some Mrs. Murphy Mail. 📬🐌 Study the Bible along with me on the subject of Thanksgiving! Let’s see what God thinks about the attitude of gratitude! Send me a private message with your snailmail address and I will add you to the No Complain November penpal list! 


Ever thankful for snailmail! 


XOXO

Mrs. Murphy 

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