Everyday Is Thanksgiving Day

For those living in Manila—one of the most densely populated cities in the world—know that traffic is so bad that one has to leave the house one to two hours earlier to avoid the frustratingly long queues for the MRT, LRT, bus, or jeepney, just to get to work on time. Driving in Manila is a nightmare but public transportation is arguably worse. Even during the late 1960s, when I was a medical student I hated it then, when we had to ride standing shoulder-to-shoulder with absolute strangers especially when in hot and muggy weather in non air conditioned busses.

Ben, the older brother of my roommate in medical school Ric, told me a story of event that happen to him in Manila. He was then a law student at Ateneo de Manila University, one of the top schools in the country. One morning, he was seated comfortably in a crowded bus with passengers standing in the aisles. The bus got to a bus stop on the route and some passengers got off and more passengers got in. Among the new passengers was a young, well-dressed lady carrying a bag. Ben called the attention of the lady and offered her his seat. The lady took the offer without saying a word. After a few minutes, Ben, who was now standing holding on to the rails above, turned to the lady and said, “I beg your pardon.” The lady, caught in a surprise, answered, “I didn’t say anything.” giving the impression she didn’t want to be bothered. Then Ben shrugged his shoulders and apologized, saying, “Ma’am I’m really sorry. I thought you just said thank you.”

After working all night in a busy emergency room in Greenville, Texas, I started the 70 mile drive home. The skies were overcast and halfway I run into a raging thunderstorm, rain pouring so hard and visibility was limited to just a few yards. Suddenly, without any warning, my car spun around beyond my control and the back end of my vehicle slammed into the guard rail. In that brief moment, I held on tight to the steering wheel while the car was out of control till it completely got still. All I thought in the brief moment was about my family and “Lord help me.” After I gained my composure, I got out my the car. I was shock to see the extent of the damage, the back half of my car was demolished. In the soaking rain I exclaimed, “God, thank you I am alright.”

 

Too often we wait till we survive calamities or tragedies in our lives to be thankful. We take for granted the many blessings we receive from day to day. Just being able to survive and see the light of a new day in this pandemic is  a blessing to be thankful for. Many of us have mourned the loss of acquaintances, friends, and relatives to the corona virus. We need to thank God for being there to comfort us through our grief and sorrow for the loss.

Too often, it is hard to be thankful when everything around you may be seemingly be falling apart. You begin to feel that your earnest prayers have been denied. You feel like you have painted yourself into a corner and ask, “Does anybody really care?” Well, this is a time to thank God.

Why? As this song says:
Oh, If He Carried The Weight Of The World Upon His Shoulders
I Know My Brother That He Will Carry You
Oh, If He Carried The Weight Of The World Upon His Shoulders
I Know My Sister That He Will Carry You

As a physician, I have seen my share of human misery and suffering. Many times I don’t have the answers people want to hear to heal their sickness and misery. As a Christian physician, I am thankful I could offer them hope, no matter what circumstances that may come their way, by telling them, believe and have faith in the loving grace of our heavenly father. Thank God we have the assurance that He will answer prayer if not now, later or yonder.

When your family and friends gather round the Thanksgiving table this year, before you dig into that pumpkin pie, grab yourself glass of drink and engage in the time-honored tradition of not only toasting your loved ones and acquaintances, but also sharing what you’re thankful for. Remind family and friends that besides football, turkey, and all the fixins’, the true meaning of the holiday is gratitude. And, okay, did we mention pie?

Remember the pilgrims, in the fall of 1621, when their labors were rewarded with a bountiful harvest after a year of sickness, death and scarcity, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God. They also celebrated their bounty with a tradition called the Harvest Home.

Heavenly Father, on this Thanksgiving Day, we bow our hearts to You and pray. You have provided us with more than we could ever have imagined or have asked for. You have surrounded us with people who care and look out for us. You have given us family and friends who bless us every day with kind words and actions. We give You thanks for all You’ve done, especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son. For beauty in nature, Your glory we see, for joy and health, friends, and family.

The attitude of being content and thankful for what you have and who you are, is to me the greatest source of true happiness.