{"id":67,"date":"2012-11-21T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-21T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.195.124.95\/~redletu4\/thanksgiving-for-those-who-have-lost\/"},"modified":"2012-11-21T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-11-21T14:00:00","slug":"thanksgiving-for-those-who-have-lost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/thanksgiving-for-those-who-have-lost\/","title":{"rendered":"Thanksgiving for Those Who Have Lost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

You don\u2019t reach midlife without\u00a0loss \u2014 the loss of a loved one,\u00a0a friend, a job, a few more\u00a0follicles each morning. But it\u2019s not so bad.\u00a0Loss is a necessary ingredient in life.\u00a0Usually, we\u2019ve\u00a0had to give up something to\u00a0receive something else.<\/p>\n

Throughout life, I\u2019ve given up cherished things so I could move\u00a0ahead financially, mentally, or spiritually. I\u2019ve quit jobs, relocated to\u00a0different towns, and found different circles of friends.\u00a0I wasn\u2019t always happy to renounce these things.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m quick to thank God for the gains in life, to cheer achievement, and praise\u00a0blessing, but how often do I\u00a0rejoice in the things I\u2019ve\u00a0given up?<\/p>\n

Holding On<\/b>
Truth is, I tend to hold on\u00a0to things pretty tightly. My\u00a0money, my time, and my status\u00a0are gains I\u2019m not so eager to\u00a0release. Wrestling these things\u00a0from my grip can be painful.\u00a0The tight clutch I have on\u00a0possessions is especially\u00a0exhausting. Now, after all these years, that\u00a0quest for security seems almost\u00a0quaint. The 401(k) I so faithfully\u00a0contributed to has been\u00a0crushed. The dreams\u00a0of retirement to a cabin in the\u00a0woods have been replaced with\u00a0a shack in the suburbs.\u00a0Despite my best efforts,\u00a0life \u2014 and the economy \u2014 had\u00a0different plans. Sometimes loss\u00a0is out of our control.
<\/a>

<\/b>Beneficial Loss<\/b>
Last year, I sold my beloved 1956\u00a0Chevy. As the new owner loaded\u00a0it up on the trailer, I watched it\u00a0go down the road like a regal\u00a0queen, sitting high above the\u00a0traffic. A sad sight indeed.\u00a0It was my first car, brimming\u00a0with memories. Part of the\u00a0family for more than 30 years,\u00a0it wasn\u2019t easy to give up. But,\u00a0truth is, I would never be able\u00a0to accumulate the money to\u00a0replace the rusted floorboards\u00a0and pitted chrome. The engine\u00a0belched smoke, and the transmission\u00a0shifted erratically. It\u00a0would have taken a fortune for\u00a0the restoration. So, it was time\u00a0to cut my losses.I gained a spot\u00a0in the garage, money in the\u00a0bank, and freedom of my time.<\/p>\n

Some other things I\u2019ve\u00a0surrendered have been done\u00a0out of spiritual discipline or\u00a0personal conviction. I\u2019ve given\u00a0up things that weren\u2019t healthy\u00a0for me \u2014 like red meat and\u00a0alcohol. And to protect my\u00a0relationship with God, I\u2019ve run\u00a0from certain types of entertainment,\u00a0turned away from\u00a0destructive relationships, and\u00a0won the battle over lifetime\u00a0habits. These losses \u2014 and\u00a0others \u2014 have produced gains\u00a0in my faith. I\u2019ve\u00a0learned that it\u2019s\u00a0better to let go of\u00a0those things I once\u00a0held like a kite\u00a0string in a storm\u00a0so I can be free to\u00a0pursue growth.<\/p>\n

A new World of Thanks\u00a0<\/b>
Many of our nation\u2019s early\u00a0pioneers relinquished family,\u00a0fortune, status, and security\u00a0when they left their homes in\u00a0Europe. Their immediate return\u00a0was uncertainty in this new\u00a0world, often tinged with tragedy.\u00a0And still, they bowed in\u00a0humble thanks. Is it possible\u00a0they gave thanks for what they\u00a0lost, for the things they gave up?<\/p>\n

This month, I\u2019ll gladly give\u00a0thanks for the pumpkin pie and\u00a0perfectly browned turkey. I can\u00a0give thanks for the things I\u2019ve\u00a0given up, even in disobedience\u00a0or out of God\u2019s will. But can I\u00a0really give thanks for the rest of\u00a0the stuff, the things taken from\u00a0me, lost to storms or the sands\u00a0of time?

<\/b>Finding the right place<\/b>
Truth is, I\u2019m at a place now\u00a0where I am comfortable with\u00a0who I am and with my life and\u00a0future. I\u2019ve gained love and\u00a0lost it. I\u2019ve gained friends and\u00a0lost them, too. I\u2019ve gained\u00a0wisdom, only to chuck it away\u00a0in one foolish act. Yet God is\u00a0still finding a way to work in\u00a0spite of me.<\/p>\n

It almost seems the balance\u00a0of life constantly has the fresh\u00a0water pouring in, while the old\u00a0\u00a0stale water dribbles over the\u00a0edges. And for that, I\u2019m grateful.\u00a0I wonder if this Thanksgiving\u00a0I\u2019ll finally be able to give thanks\u00a0for what is no longer mine, the\u00a0minutes that have ticked out of\u00a0my life, so I can appreciate the\u00a0remains of the day.<\/p>\n

I was honored to have this article published in the February Issue of\u00a0More Living\u00a0<\/b>magazine.\u00a0<\/b>You can contact Lifeway and subscribe\u00a0here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

Linking up with My friend Duane <\/a>today, who has a great guest post on the Circle Maker.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Enhanced<\/a><\/div>\n
Please, share with a friend if you feel moved.
\nRead all past issues at http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You don\u2019t reach midlife without\u00a0loss \u2014 the loss of a loved one,\u00a0a friend, a job, a few more\u00a0follicles each morning. But it\u2019s not so bad.\u00a0Loss is a necessary ingredient in life.\u00a0Usually, we\u2019ve\u00a0had to give up something to\u00a0receive something else. Throughout life, I\u2019ve given up cherished things so I could move\u00a0ahead financially, mentally, or spiritually. I\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[865,866],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thanks-for-loss","category-thanksgiving"],"yoast_head":"\nThanksgiving for Those Who Have Lost<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You don\u2019t reach midlife without\u00a0loss \u2014 the loss of a loved one,\u00a0a friend, a job, a few more\u00a0follicles each morning. 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