November Pastoral Letter
Dear Friends,
November is a special month! It’s the month we celebrate Thanksgiving–giving thanks to God from whom all blessings flow.
November is made up of other days that are special, too. Some of us, like me, celebrate our birthdays in November. And of course, we celebrate All Saints’ Day in church, remembering and giving thanks for those who died in the faith this past year.
I knew that November had a few special days in which to give thanks, but little did I know that each and every day of November is special. I was surprised when I discovered “A Full List of November Holidays and Observances in 2022”:
November 1 is “National Cook for Your Pets Day”
November 2 is “National Stress Awareness Day”
November 3 is “Give Someone a Dollar Day”
November 4 is “Use Your Common Sense Day”
November 5 is “National Chinese Take-Out Day”
We know that November 6 is “Daylight Savings Day,” but did you know that it is also “National Saxophone Day?”
November 7 is “Cancer Awareness Day” and
November 8 is not only “Election Day,” but it is also “National Cappuccino Day.” We might need extra caffeine on that day!
Usually when I read lists like this, I am critical, suspecting the people behind it are looking for a way to generate business, like greeting cards or online sales. However, this time I was more tolerant and even interested…maybe because this list was generated by Good Housekeeping magazine or maybe because it had a good combination of things that encouraged buying (supporting local Chinese or coffee shops) and giving money (toward cancer research or giving someone in need a dollar).
The list brought to mind this Scripture:
“For everything this is a season and a time for every matter under heaven…God has made everything beautiful for its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).
God has made everything–that is each and every day–beautiful for its time.
And realizing that each day is a gift generates gratitude and thanksgiving to God from whom all blessings flow.
From the full list, I pulled out something that makes each day of November notable, even beautiful, and worth celebrating and giving thanks:
November 9 “Go to an Art Museum Day”
November 10 “World Immunization Day”
November 11 “Veterans Day”
November 12 “National Happy Hour Day”
November 13 “National Hug a Musician Day”
November 14 “National Pickle Day”
November 15 “National Clean Out Your Fridge Day”
November 16 “International Day For Tolerance”
November 17 “Great American Smokeout”
November 18 “Apple Cider Day”
November 19 “National Adoption Day”
November 20 “Transgender Day of Remembrance”
November 21 “National Gingerbread Cookie Day”
November 22 “Love Your Freckles Day”
November 23 “Eat a Cranberry Day”
November 24 “Thanksgiving” and “National Sardines Day”
November 25 “Native American Heritage Day”
November 26 “Small Business Saturday”
November 27 “First Sunday of Advent”
November 28 “National French Toast Day”
November 29 “Giving Tuesday” and “Throw Out Your Leftovers Day”
November 30 “National Mousse Day”
In the month of November, remember each day is a gift. Bill Keane expressed it well, “Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.”
On this day and all the days of November, let us receive the gift of the present, trusting that God has made everything beautiful for its time.
May you have eyes to see a blessing in each and every day and may you offer a prayer of gratitude, giving thanks to God from whom all blessings flow.
With gratitude for each and every one of you,
Pastor Donna