Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Thanksgiving:The Perfect Time for Gratitude and Forgiveness

"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun."  ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

With the end of November bringing with it Thanksgiving, which officially kicks off the Holiday Season, it's usually the time of year when we begin to reflect on all the things in our lives we are grateful for and appreciate most. However, it's also the perfect time to take inventory of our hearts and ask God to reveal to us who or what in our lives we need to forgive, release and let go. It is the perfect time to take notice of the relationships, beliefs, attitudes, habits, situations and/or material things in our lives that we've out grown.

So as you contemplate and prepare your menu for this weeks Thanksgiving feast, try adding a little gratitude and forgiveness to your list of perfect side dishes to compliment your turkey dinner this year. Give thanks for all that you have while also forgiving all that has left you feeling hurt and release that which you no longer need.

To resist the cycle of change, that is part of the natural process of life, is like trying to swim against the tide of an ocean rather than relax and go with the flow and direction of the current, which would require a lot less effort on your part. By continuing to hold on to things out of fear of moving forward, despite the clear evidence life is showing us that it's time to move on, we do more of a disservice than good to both ourselves and those involved in or affected by the situation.

When we look to nature as an example of how to actively practice non-resistance of the seasons of change in life for releasing and letting go, we see how the tree's do no fight with the change of season from summer to fall because they know that the onset of fall means it's time to shed their leaves. If you watch closely during this process it almost seems as if the trees open up and embrace the change, instead of resisting, as they effortlessly allow the leaves to change color from moist rich green to a dry blend of red, russet and yellow as they gently detach from the tree branches and gently float to the ground.


When this process is complete the once fully blossomed trees now appear to our human eyes to be left standing with bare and barren branches leaving the tree looking lifeless. However, from the perspective of the tree, I imagine it probably feels much happier, lighter and free with all those leaves finally gone and no longer weighing down its branches.

Such is the case with releasing the relationships, thoughts and things that represent the leaves weighing down the branches of our lives. Using the aforementioned example of the trees knowing when to shed their leaves with non-resistance, it would behoove us to also practice non-resistance when the time comes for us to let go of whatever is holding us back from freely moving forward to the next season of our lives as well. And there's no better time to take inventory of what needs to be released from our lives than now.

By expressing gratitude for what you have received and surrendering that which you no longer need back into the universe you are not only allowing that person, place, or thing to move on to its higher good, you are also making room for the next wave of blessings that's sure to come in your own life as well. So in the end, it benefits all involved to practice non-resistance to this natural process of release, letting go, growth and change.

Yet, until we reach a state of self-mastery consciousness, which most of us will probably not achieve in this lifetime, the art of non-resistance to such major shifts and changes in this human experience is much easier said than done. This is why I believe supports groups are so successful because there is power in working together as a group of people with the same end goal in mind who are also on one accord in consciousness about attaining that end goal.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun." So let's use this time and season that's ripe for forgiveness and healing to purifying our hearts, cleanse our minds and sweep out the debris of negative thoughts, judgments, beliefs, perceptions, and resentments that have been cluttering up the floors, doors and closet spaces of our minds.

Let's  bring this last week of the month to a close by being a support to one another for growth and healing. Together let's prepare for the high expectations of our glorious future in the coming new year, by willingly releasing what needs to be released, letting go of whomever we need to let go, and forgiving whoever or whatever we still need to forgive. With an open and non-resistant heart, attitude and mind, let's surrender it all to God. In fact, let's take this opportunity of this Thanksgiving Holiday to put our faith and trust back in the infallible hands of God where it rightfully belongs, rather than placing them in the imperfect hands of people, things or situations.

And to help us stay focused on this "end goal", to free ourselves of anything blocking us from having and keeping an open and receptive heart of love, all of my Inspirational Love Notes, shared with you through my poems, articles and quotes, for the rest of this week will be in alignment with the theme of renunciation and renewal. Let's heal our hearts and move forward in love together. After all...as children of the Most High God we are more than worth the effort.


Until next time...I surround you in Love & Light! So remember to keep your hearts open and your love lights on.


A One Love Production
By Anna M. Hendricks
Copyright 2013



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