Next week, Thanksgiving will be celebrated all across the nation. This holiday was established generations ago to encourage people to focus their thoughts on gratitude for life's gifts, joys and even challenges.
Yet, Thursday, people will express thanks for what they have. But on Friday, many will rush to stores for Black Friday sales and shop for more things.
A sign of the times? Probably. We live in a time of the ever-present sound bite. Attention spans have grown shorter. If you doubt this, note how short any one camera angle remains on the television or movie screen before it changes. Most are no longer than 8 seconds.
We seem to live in a culture of amnesia. We forget what was important a moment ago and focus on what is coming next. What is past is no longer important. If you doubt this, do you remember what happened in the news on March 8 or July 17 of this year? There are still many unanswered questions in both situations.
On Thanksgiving, offer your words of thanks to God.
Give thanks for the good news you have received, the good gifts you have received, and the love and joy that came your way.
Also, give thanks for the hardships because, even though you may have been challenged emotional, spiritual or physically, you grew from those experiences.
Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get past giving thanks for what you have, only to ignore it for something better yet to come. Remain in the present.
A hasty “thanks” isn’t very meaningful.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Give thanks — and mean it