Spending Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in America has been a fascinating experience.

When friends ask me what brought me to the area this weekend, and I explain that I have a long weekend so it worked well to travel, I get mixed reactions.

Some barely know that we have Thanksgiving at a different time. Others are intrigued that it’s on a Monday.

But my favourite response gave me the title for this post, although after we finished laughing, she did explain that she simply meant that Thanksgiving is meant to be a harvest time holiday. What are we doing having Thanksgiving day before the crops are in?

So I explained that the fields in the frigid north land of Canada are already being harvested.

We also established a mutual understanding that the coming of hockey season means as much to Canadians and the coming election does to Americans. And agreed that both can become too much of a passion for God’s people to engage in…

But after a great time of bantering about Canada vs America, I went home (well, to my home away from home, where I stay when I’m around here) and I pondered.

What do I have to be thankful for?

Of course, we all name the big things. God’s plan of salvation. My family. A Christian church family. A home. Food.  Material blessings.

But sometimes we overlook the joy that’s to be found in the little things when we dutifully dwell on the big, important items.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am truly grateful for all the above items I listed! And we should never take those things for granted. But I think it’s a good exercise in gratefulness to look for the beauty which God blesses us with through ordinary moments and things.

So this weekend, I’m grateful for the simple beauty of the Pennsylvania valley that has become my second home.

I’m grateful for beautiful parks to stroll through on sunlit pathways, with the decaying leaves laying on the ground in their vibrancy, as a quiet yet profound reminder that God creates beauty even in death and letting go…

I’m grateful for friends who sit on the little blue couch with me while we do foot soaks, never noticing or caring that the water has long grown cold, because our conversation was far too important to stop and get more hot water…

I’m grateful for shared laughter until my ribs ache.

I’m grateful that corn mazes come with maps, and also people in my group who could read the map.

I was grateful that when we lost our people in the maze, and had no map at all, that I had the opportunity to connect with a good friend as we calmly strolled all over the maze until we followed the moon to the exit.

It’s also good we thought of checking where the moon was in relation to the exit when we started. We may not be able to read maps, but we were capable of maintaining a sense of direction based off the moon. So, I’m grateful for the guiding light of the moon, and the guiding Light of Jesus that will guide me through the maze of life.

I am grateful for ice cream, the kind that comes in little pints. And I’m so glad to have a friend who will eat straight out of her own carton across from me while we catch up on everything that has happened, is happening, and even the things that might happen in our lives.

Life is rich, and beautiful, and full of simple joys to be grateful for…

Because above all, God is so, so good!