Happy Thanksgiving

-Pastor Melissa Fain-

You might notice I don't really write about American holidays and memorial days.  It's knowing it's more than Americans that read these meditations. It's also why, as an American, I make sure to not talk in exclusive terms when talking about things people do in the United States. I will qualify my statement with, "Here in the United States..." These are probably things most readers nearby don't even consider, while overseas readers might pick up on. 

I am grateful that I know people from all over. It gives me context. It allows me the ability to see beyond my tiny circle of influence, and into larger, more diverse world.

That has guarded me from speaking about U.S. exclusive events. 

Yet, here we are. It's American Thanksgiving today, and I'm writing about it. What is there to be thankful for in the United States?

I read, just last week that Covid was the biggest killer of cops this year, more deadly than pedestrian to cop violence.

I'm seeing gaping chasms in the Education system that can't be fixed with money. The entire mechanism is near critical failure.

I'm hearing servant leaders tell their stories of just giving up.  Years ago we began putting too much on these kind hearted individuals to be the sacrifice for the appearing cracks. Now the cracks have opened up. It was never fair, and now it's just impossible.

America's future is unfortunately everyone's future.

Listen, this is the third time I've written out something for this week. One I saved for a future post, one I completely destroyed, and this is the one that made it for today.

I know what American's want today. Shut up and pretend. This is the day where we don't talk about the minefield of topics that will completely destroy the false sense of unity within the family. Uncle Charlie, and Great Aunt Dorine don't even talk to one another anymore, and they both actually showed up. We're going to hold this tenuis union together with silence. Just for today.

Well, guess what? I'm Gramma Bertha in this illustration, way too old to walk on eggshells, and much more self-aware than anyone gives her credit for.  I'm rolling a bowling ball through this minefield, because opportunities like this only come once a year.

The reason we have supply chain issues is because China has sold her people so the world could have a servant class. In the United States, as the money was pushed in, people began buying things. What should have happened was serious inflation. Those goods and services should have gone up to level off the new money. Pay for United States workers did go up, which did raise the cost of goods some, but our servant class got none of it. The cost of things from China stayed relatively the same. This led to the U.S. people buying more things. Now the stuff can't get here fast enough.  Do you think China is going to blame herself when this uneven relationship finally breaks- which it will?

There is a reason oil and food has inflated with the influx of cash.

First, the Middle East knows a thing or two about supply and demand. They are not going to be used for their product. They stopped producing as much oil when we were all in lockdown. The United States uses the most oil, so as we use more, the cost goes up, and goes down as we don't.

Second, most of the food the United States consumes comes from ourselves.  Because we are paying ourselves more, the supply of food is touched by that interest. We are paying the employees making and producing that food more, and that more has to transfer into the cost of the food.

China has kept it's relationship, with at least the United States, because we feed her people. Our biggest export to China is soybeans.  ​

What am I thankful for?

All of this remains on my brain today. It can make one wonder if I'm thankful for anything. I'm thankful for so much, and it's a change in perspective.

I have relationships, like real honest to goodness relationships. I deeply love people, and they love me back. These are people I would sit with a can of baked beans, or a Thanksgiving Feast and know in either situation I was blessed. 

There is power in relationship. It's stronger than economies. It's deeper than recessions. It's relationship that I have spent my days investing in. 

Yep, Gramma Bertha. That's me, blowing up the field, because I need you to stop seeing the things, and start seeing the people behind the things. There are relationships worth more than the things. It's the relationships I'm grateful for. For that I give thanks.