THANKSGIVING TUESDAY


In two short days we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day.  Have you ever wondered why Thursday was chosen for this day?  Why not a Sunday?  Or maybe a Wednesday?  I know,  let's pick Friday as it seems we are all happy for Fridays.  Or.....how about Tuesday?  Seems like Tuesday is just a kind of a ho hum day.  The dreaded Monday is past and hump day is coming up tomorrow.  On Thursday we start to get excited because Friday is so close.  And of course we all know how we love Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  As I was thinking of this, a song by Melissa Etheridge came to mind.  The song is titled Tuesday Morning.

You are probably familiar with the song but if not look up the lyrics.  It is a song about a young man named Mark Bingham.  Mark was  a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93.  He died when the plane crashed into a field in Shanksville PA.  That's right...he died on September 11,  2001.  It was a Tuesday Morning.     He was probably one of the passengers  that attempted to storm the cockpit of of the hijacked plane.  It is thought the plane was probably headed for the White House or the Capital in Washington.  For the efforts of Mark Bingham and the others on flight 93,  on this Tuesday morning, I AM THANKFUL.  

As my mind was racing around about Mark and of Thanksgiving and of the days of the week, I asked myself...  Why aren't we more thankful everyday?  Oh sure,  I know I'm thankful for family and friends everyday  And I'm thankful for my health and a warm house and food to eat everyday but do I REALLY.....I mean REALLY sit and think about and reflect on the blessings of God.  I see and hear and smell and taste things everyday,  in fact probably every minute that I just take for granted. 

I'm an early riser.  I usually get up around 5:00 am every morning.  Do I have to get up?
Not at all,  I just do.  I usually get up and the first thing i do is read something.  Sometimes it's the newspaper,  sometimes it's an article of inspiration,  and sometimes it may be scripture.  I do this from habit. But this morning I stopped and contemplated how blessed I was to be able to read.  I started to say how lucky I am but luck has nothing to do with it.  It's not luck....IT'S A BLESSING.  God has blessed me with eyesight to see the pages, and a mind to understand what I read, and he blessed me with teachers that were willing to give of themselves to insure that I would have this blessing..... . For this I am truly thankful.

And as the sun was coming up this morning,  oh what a sight.  The sky was ablaze in oranges and yellows and purples.  It was something no artist can capture on his canvas,  no photographer can duplicate with a camera.  It was something given to me by My God......And for this I am truly thankful.

And as I watched this sunrise my mind went to the death of Larry Munson.  He had given me so many memories of UGA football,  good memories and I was thankful for the times he has given me,  but it made me go back in time to late march/early April.  To a time when I passed out and the Doctors said I should have never woke up.  To a time when so many prayers went up to God for my healing,  to a time when God guided the surgeons hands to repair my heart and to a time when God not only heard these prayers but answered these prayers ..............
And for this I am truly thankful.

Yes,  as I sit here I am excited about Thanksgiving day Thursday.  I am exited about spending the day with my wife, children, and grand children.  I am thankful for the turkey and dressing we will eat.  I am excited about watching the kids throw a football out in the yard, and about watching some football with Josh and Randy on the television.  And it may sound silly to some of you but I am excited about going to the store to buy a newspaper and watching Peggy and Cindy and Vicki lying on the floor, looking at all the ads, and planning their black Friday excursion.  Yes,,,I am excited about all of this and I will give thanks on Thursday......but.......I see no reason to wait until then.....  I will start today.......I will give thanks on Thanksgiving Tuesday because I can.........And for this I am truly thankful.

I pray you all have a wonderful and joyous Thanksgiving Week!!!!!!!!!!!!!