Thanks and Giving... always runing for the Sun

So, I'm here in Idaho visiting my relatives for Thanksgiving. Interesting time of year really. When I have "down time" like this I often get very reflective. So here we go, just some thoughts and reflections about the "holiday season"....

So, Idaho is under somewhat of a blanket of fog this week. Cold, wet, slick and icy--- no sun---. That's what's on the table for Thanksgiving this week. So, ever the glutton for punishment yet with a deep sense of adventure I decided to go for a little drive with the girls and go find the Sun. Yep find the Sun. The most logical place to go was up and since the mountains are right here... up we went. 4232 feet to be exact and yes we found the Sun. Glorious it was with all of it's warmth and brightness, man, I didn't want to leave. But we did, after a few minutes on the side of the road we once again descended down into a rather gloomy Boise valley.

Before the drive and all this week I've also noticed a couple more things other than the absence of Sun. First, people can't sit still. Grocery store.... Full. Gas Station..... Full. Lonely Idaho roads.... Full. And of course the newspaper, full.... of ads. Second, I can't stand still.

I know you're thinking, "where is he going with this? The Sun, fog, busy people and ads?" Well just hang on, I'll get to it.

Here's the thought. As far of a stretch as it may be... We live in a country with everything and for the most part we still are not content. Take for example Thanksgiving. Most people get Thursday off, and another large majority get Friday off too... but not retailers.... Ads, Ads, Ads. I just saw an ad for a sale from 5am Friday morning until noon... 5AM! What is the matter with this picture. First of all it is Thanks---Giving... once again that is Thanks and the word Giving. Being thankful and giving is what I read out of the title. A time for friendship, relationships, sharing, giving (of ourselves and our stuff) and eating bird the people usually only eat on a sandwich in thin slices during the other 364 days of the year. So, what went wrong? Why do we have to first of all go jump right into the next event, Christmas (which by the way is also about a very large and special gift), to go get all of our shopping done at "rock bottom prices".

Ok so I'm going off a bit but I really do have a point. I've been pondering a lot about me during this week, my motives, my desires-- or often lack of desires, to give. Pondering about what I am going to pass on to my girls in terms of a consumer mentality when I the master of my world can just jump in the van drive 20 miles and get what I want... the Sun. I may hate sales, and crowds but I'm still a consumer, I'm still as antsy about getting out of the house as everyone else... I just camouflage it a "love for the outdoors" package.

Now I'm not saying that we can't go enjoy ourselves, or have time with our family or even enjoy buying something that will bring joy to someone else... I'm just doing a heart check... and you should do one too. Do you have the need to be running around place to place because you have to get this or that for a good price or is it just because you can't sit still? What is it about sitting still that drives us as a culture so batty? One day off for Thanksgiving and what do we do with this time? Have you been thankful about your life today or were you like me just... running away from the oppressing gloom trying to find your own Sun to make your day better?

You know what I'm gonna do? I'm going to go play with my girls and let their smiles light up the room. I'm going to listen to people and care about what they care about today. I'm going to lift my eyes from the plate of turkey and look people in the eye, talk to them over dinner, hopefully so much that my food gets cold. And when I'm done listening, talking and rejoicing over all that I have I'm going to be thankful for the wonderful family, wonderful friends and even the cold mashed potatoes that I have on my plate.

Then tomorrow, I'm going to sleep in. I'm going to pray for the 5am shoppers, for a heart that aches to be still for them. And then, I'm going to once again let the warmth of my families smiles warm me as I give to them more than I have.