November 24-A, 2022

**The Grove 01/29/2015 Oil Paint Rendered — The Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Adams Run, South Carolina**

A national day of thanksgiving
is a good idea,
reminding us of the central place
gratitude and appreciation
have in the life 
of every human being,
humbling us
and grounding us 
in the realization of our 
utter dependence upon
the benevolent grace
of things quite beyond our control.

Call it "being lucky,"
and remember that luck 
is not ours to command,
and that we all have been
outrageously lucky just to be here/now.

(Not withstanding those who huff up
and declare, 
"Luck has nothing to do with it!
It is all an expression of the providence of God!"
To which I like to respond,
"Aren't we lucky 
that God is so providential?")

The beneficent timing of circumstantial events
is an astounding fact of life
operating in the life of everyone
with the capacity for the awareness of such occurrences. 

We can't count on it
and we can't deny it.

Coincidence or Synchronicity--
regardless of the term used 
to describe the timing of things
that cannot be explained--
is always a source of marvel
and amazement,
and the foundation of thanksgiving,
gratitude and appreciation.

And is something we all have experienced
and can look forward to experiencing 
again and again
throughout the time left for living.

Amen! May it be certainly so!

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Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters and five granddaughters within about twenty minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything. View more posts