“O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endures for ever.” — Psalm 107:1
As its name indicates, our Thanksgiving holiday is about giving thanks, offering gratitude to The Divine* for provision and blessings.
Yet, on Thanksgiving, offering prayers of gratitude is also always about unity, whether it affirms individual Unity with The Divine’s plan(s) for our lives, or whether we come together to celebrate our shared gratitude.
When we offer our prayers of thanksgiving we are purposefully aligning ourselves with God’s Will. Giving thanks is never accidental, true expressions of appreciation are intentionally expressed.
Peace, meaning goodwill for one another, if not downright harmony, is what is promised and hoped for in the world to come, in our near future and for our own lives today. Politicians and diplomats aim to low in their goals for peace talks and treaties of peace. Peace, “shalom” in Hebrew and the Bible, implies more than is just a cessation of attacking and violence. Peace means the attainment of mutual goodwill and generosity. We can find accord in the recognition that the other person(s) are seeking for what is good – it is in our mutual hope for good that we can find commonality. We can agree on our hopes even when we vastly disagree on the methods or routes to achieve that end. This is the model of peace, and thanksgiving we see created by the Native Americans and Pilgrims at Plymouth’s first Thanksgiving.
Sharing, like cooking, can be a messy process. However, at the core of cooking and of sharing lies hope that something sustaining and good shall result.
Let us focus on finding reasons, even reasons that seem small or trivial, to give thanks for our blessings. Let us decide to give thanks for those who are at our table and in our lives, if only for the fact that they are at our table and willing to share with us. Let us find hope, and even create love for one another, by purposing and agreeing on one thing: that we will gather together with peaceful intentions, despite any differences, disagreements or hurts that we feel we have endured.
Let us gather together to seek and share hope and give thanks. Even in difficult times, there is so much we can give thanks for, including that in the worst of times is when we turn to prayer, to seeking the Presence and divine will for our lives. When we gather to give thanks, to pray, and seek guidance is sometimes when we manage to be closest to who we are meant to be. Brokenness is the crack that lets the Light shine in.
*The term, “The Divine” is used as a place holder by the author to denote whatever name the reader personally relates to in the reference. The author is personally Bible based, although the reader or viewer of her art need not be. However, even being Bible based, there are so many names for The Divine, and as there are both Jews and Christians, and many denominations and branches, correctly theologically using any term that is personally is meaningful for each and every readers can best be addressed by asking the reader to insert the Name that is heartfelt in each and every instance.
May the Lord bless you and yours this Thanksgiving. May the Lord be close to you and shine loving and healing light on you, your life and path.
And You Shall Love… Autumn Tree of Life by Judy Rey Wasserman. Strokes are Deuteronomy 6: 5-9. See more, including close-ups of the strokes. Click HERE
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Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art at ungravenimage.com.
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art at ungravenimage.com.
Change the way you see the world through art made of the Word of scripture. Check out the Fine Art Limited Edition prints, decorative prints, books, and printables that are currently available to you through Judy Rey’s Art of Seeing The Divine Shop. You don’t have to buy to avail yourself of the art and inspiration available there. However if you select to collect investment quality archival art, or decorate your home with images created with strokes that are original letters from Bible texts, or buy a gift for someone special, there is a secure shopping cart that accepts most credit cards so your purchase is easy to accomplish. https://artofseeingthedivine.com
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