Thanksgiving and Leftovers

(DISCLAIMER) Like most things in life, better things usually come later. Please read until the end before making judgement on the following...

No Stuffing at the First Thanksgiving... Just the way it should be

Rejoice always pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NRSV)

Thanksgiving. It's less than a week away. Well, at least for us Americans. Our neighbors to the north, those silly Canucks, had their own Thanksgiving a month ago (October 14th to be exact). Tiffany, Sam and I are headed to our neighbors to the south however, to the land of those silly Iowegians, better known as Iowa. My brother is finishing his final year at Wartburg Theological Seminary and thus, it is our last (and first) chance to go visit him whilst he's down there. Thankfully, it's not too far.

Thankfully, Sam is old enough to not freak out too much on long car rides anymore. However, after this Christmas, I think the fam and I will let everyone come to us for holidays. I think we'll just stay home for holidays from now on, wherever that home may be. I'm thankful we have a home to stay home in.

However, thankfulness is something that I need to work on. I seem to have let some thankfulness slip over the years. I remember having to write Thank You cards after Confirmation, Graduation, Wedding, Baby Shower... and then neglecting to do so for the Confirmation and Graduation. Having to be reminded constantly was really... saddening, even though I still didn't do it. Why was I reluctant to Thank people? Why are we reluctant?

I was reluctant this month to thank the Luther Seminary donors for my scholarship. Yes, I received a scholarship to come here. I was awarded it this spring when I met a few of my current classmates for the first time. There were about 20 of us; we were all promised a scholarship, and told there were multiple FREE RIDE scholarships. I had my hopes, dreams and sights set on one of those FREE RIDE scholarships. Why not hope? Because I'm not THAT special. That's why not.

I should have known that the lowest possible scholarship was going to be mine, and not bothered to hope for anything more. Yes, I got a scholarship, but it was the lowest possible scholarship they offered. When I first heard that I received the scholarship, I was hurt. I worked so hard, tried my darnedest in the entire process, and I got the leftovers. I was more hurt than thankful, when I should have been overjoyed to hear such wonderful news. Many of my classmates had no such scholarship. Some received better ones, some received FREE RIDE scholarships. I got the leftovers.

Even the leftovers say "Thank You"

I see these FREE RIDE scholarship winners everyday, and I have to ask myself why they got one and I didn't. What was different about them? What special qualities did they have that I didn't? Could it be that they were able to be much more active in school and have better grades than I because they didn't start a family in the middle of college?

If they had based it on economic need instead of grades and activities, I might have been able to get a better scholarship, maybe even a fabled FREE RIDE scholarship. However, it seemed their priorities were stacked against me, and I'll have to be alright with that. I'll have to be thankful for those leftovers.

It's sometimes hard for us to thank people for stuff we don't feel thankful for.

It's hard to thank the great aunt who gives you a loaf of bread for your birthday.
It's hard to thank the ex-girlfriend who gives you a coloring book for Christmas.
It's hard to thank the new mother-in-law of your recently remarried father for pajamas.
It's hard to thank the donors for a leftover scholarship.

It's hard to thank sometimes. But it doesn't mean that we shouldn't.

I know I should have thanked the donors, I just... didn't make it a priority.

It's hard sometimes, when I really am thankful for things, and I can't contain my gratitude. How can we differentiate so much on what we are thankful for?

It's easy to thank God for family.
It's easy to thank God for friends.
It's easy to thank God for the food on our plates.
It's easy to thank God for the life we have.

It's easy to thank sometimes. But it doesn't mean that we shouldn't.

So what about those leftovers?

Oh yeah... those leftovers...

I received a scholarship. $500 a class/year. It's not a FREE RIDE but it's enough to make a difference in my financial aid. And I should be thankful for that. I am. I am thankful for the scholarship, however the donors will never know that due to my... delayed gratitude...

So this Thanksgiving, and every Thanksgiving... When you're given the leftover canned cranberry sauce, the organ meat of the turkey, the burned pecan pie, the mushy stuffing, just say "Thanks". You may not want it; you may be overjoyed with it. In any case, be thankful. 

There's a lot of people across the world, across the nation, across the state, across the road... That have less, that are given less...

There's a lot of seminarians at Luther that have less, that are given less... 

So be thankful. 

Amen.

P.S... Thoughts on paying for seminary (with or without a scholarship and financial aid), and paying for education in general will addressed next time... Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!