Reflections and Thanksgiving

My annual reflections come around Thanksgiving week. They follow my personal introspection when Indian Summer walks me from Reformation Day to my mid-November birthday. These reflections are different. They’re more about others, about the world, life, and upward to the Lord God. The particulars change yearly. There’s always thanksgiving. Yet, I can tell my perspective is shifting.

As a retiree, I can’t feel the change in rhythm around the office. I did every year that I worked for wages, except when I was “in the field” in the Army, Thanksgiving week and the Monday after were a time of reflection. The pace at work slowed. Always fewer folks at work for a few days. The deadlines were done.

I did some of my best thinking in those quiet times. Now, I have much more quiet time available. Can’t say my thinking is improving with more quantity, but I believe I see things with better clarity than ever.

What I see is a paradox which may be quite common. At the very apex of my understanding, experience, education, and actual wisdom, I am at the very bottom of my power.

Not that my power, or stature, in life was noteworthy. Like everyone except a handful of very powerful people, I mattered to my sphere of influence. But, the potential to increase my sphere always existed as long as there were years ahead where it could happen. Now, I’m running out of years ahead.

I heard RFK Jr say he wanted to accomplish what he could before he turned 80 because, if he is still alive, age would likely diminish his ability. I get that.

So, why do I mention power and stature? Because like so many men, I just want to fix things. Solve problems. Make things better. Especially when you know how to do it.

And, I know the ways of the world. The “deciders” for better or worse are the people in power. The world is about to see that in living color with a 4 year melodrama of disruptive political power in the most powerful nation in the world. Get a big bag of popcorn.

How much good or ill, real change or insignificant posturing, and how great an inflection point this is in history is to be determined.

While we witness history happen, we live life.

Here is where I stand.

Eight years ago I posted “Substance, Not Stature.” Same theme as this post, just not as well-aged as now.

The thrust of that post and this reflection is “Most of who I am comes from relationships with others – starting with the one, only, true, living God. Some of what matters in me comes from persevering through challenges in life. Much of my substance comes from the failures which actually gave me my lack of a stature.”

Furthermore, “When I was 16 my Daddy had a massive heart attack. I pondered life and decided that I didn’t need a life philosophy – of what to live for, but a death philosophy – what is worth dying for. That gave me to hierarchy of duties which I followed since I went to West Point at age 17. One of my few regrets about being 66 (74), is I’d like to fight in the U.S. Culture War and the World War against Islamists for another 30 or 40 years.”

My near-death experience in early January 2022 impressed upon me the futility of everything other than relationships. Just like it says in Ecclesiastes. Yet, working is worth the doing. It’s worth the trying. It’s worth living with the real fire in the belly.

I thank the one, true, only, living God, the Lord Jesus Christ out loud upon rising and resting every day for this day the Lord hath made – to rejoice and be glad in it. I share my thoughts with the Holy Spirit without ceasing.

I’ll repeat what I wrote eight years ago to testify the truth in our Bowden-Maley Clan saying: “God is good all the time. No matter what. NO MATTER WHAT.”

My thanksgiving abounds. I’m grateful beyond measure. I’m humbled by the Lord’s blessings and strengthened to endure current, real trials.

Also, as my kin know: “Never, never, never quit. Never.”

Personally, I was told on March 15, 1987, “You will read and write.”  As of 2016(24),  I “ain’t” dead yet.

If you enjoyed this article, then please REPOST or SHARE with others; encourage them to follow AFNN. If you’d like to become a citizen contributor for AFNN, contact us at managingeditor@afnn.us Help keep us ad-free by donating here.

Substack: American Free News Network Substack
Truth Social: @AFNN_USA
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/afnnusa
Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/2_-GAzcXmIRjODNh
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfnnUsa
GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/AFNN_USA
CloutHub: @AFNN_USA