EDITORIALS: The pause that refreshes

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
Battling kidney cancer and winning big in the lottery seem to be polar opposites in the realm of human experiences. We have stories in this issue about both (pages 1 and 13). What brings these experiences together is that the couples involved in these unrelated events are especially grateful this Thanksgiving season. Winning the lottery, we understand. But battling cancer?

Gratitude in the midst of hardship is possible only when we see our lives in a bigger context, when we pull back from the perceived lack that looms before us, and see with fresh eyes how small it truly is compared to what we already have within our grasp-life itself, relationships, basic necessities. If we are alive, we have reason to thank the One who is the source of life.

That’s real the value of Thanksgiving Day. It’s a stop sign in the mad rush of living that gives us an excuse to pause, if even for one day, and consider the myriad ways our lives are enriched-by the breadth that comes from enjoying abundance, but also the depth that comes from enduring hardship.

Don’t run this stop sign in the rush to family gatherings, sumptuous meals and TV football games. Savor that pause that truly refreshes. -DR

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