Don’t miss it!
Here is one of my favourite quotes from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
This is so true! I think this quote pops into my head every fall—my favourite season, but also one that seems far too short. The leaves change quickly, and when the wind comes, they can disappear almost overnight.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I, like many of you, want to express my gratitude. But gratitude is about more than simply being thankful for what I have. Gratitude begins with noticing—with stopping, looking around, and paying attention. When we rush through life, caught up in our to-do lists, we can easily miss the things around us that bring us joy. The people we love. Beauty. Kindness. A place where we feel safe. An ordinary moment that somehow becomes meaningful.
As people of faith, God calls us to notice, remember, and respond.
Think about it. Jesus repeatedly draws our attention to things people often overlook—the birds, the flowers, a child, people pushed to the margins. Noticing can be a spiritual practice.
God also calls us to remember: where we have come from, God’s faithfulness, and the gifts we have received along the way. Remembering reminds us that everything we have is not simply the result of our own effort. Our lives are connected to other people, to creation, and to something beyond ourselves.
And finally, God calls us to respond. Gratitude is not simply about what we feel or the enthusiasm with which we say, “Thank you.” We also need to think about what happens afterward. Do the blessings we have received become blessings for somebody else?
Thich Nhat Hanh is quoted as saying, “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
Maybe this is where gratitude becomes more than a feeling. If I am grateful for having enough food, I am called to notice those who don’t. If I am grateful for belonging, I am called to make room for someone who feels excluded. If I am grateful for creation, I am called to care for it. If I am grateful for love, then I am called to give some of that love away.
Maybe this week, putting gratitude into action could be as simple as coming to volunteer at our Community Dinner on Saturday. Because Thanksgiving isn’t simply saying, “Look at all I have.” It is asking, “Because I have received so much, how will I live?”
So perhaps Ferris Bueller was onto something. Stop. Look around. Don’t miss it. And when you notice the goodness that surrounds you, give thanks—and then find a way to become part of that goodness for someone else.
Blessings,
Rev. Karen