Are you willing to chant at a NHL Match?

It’s almost Thanksgiving!

You know the drill, “What am I thankful for?”

“Even when it seems there aren’t things to be thankful for, if I pause and look long enough, most certainly I will find something!”

But this Thanksgiving, I want to invite us to do something just a little different . . .

Monday evening I had the privilege of attending a Nashville Predators game in their home arena. I love hockey, it’s fast, fun, and the energy in the place is contagious! The game was close and both teams seemed to be equally matched.

However, one thing happened that just caught me by surprise . . .

After the Predators scored, the Predator fans would start chanting, “Gib-son, it’s all your fault! You suck.” Over and over again . . . . I thought, “Oh dear . . . poor Gibson . . . to have a stadium of people chanting at me that I suck and it’s all my fault would send me right on into the therapist’s office.”

Also, I’m pretty sure Gibson wasn’t celebrating that he just missed a block and the opposing team scored a goal.

I know this is probably a weird thing to think at a National Hockey Game, and it is a “game” and entertainment, right???? But, I thought, “How would any of us feel if we were Gibson? Or maybe if one of our children were Gibson? Would we be chanting, ‘You Suck!’?”

Probably not!

This Thanksgiving week, whether we are celebrating, driving, shopping, working . . . we will have the opportunity to encounter a bunch of different people. Emotions are certainly heightened this time of year, and everyone is carrying their own “Stuff.”

Let’s all, out of gratitude for recognizing that there is Divine Love that surrounds us all and holds it all together, make sure we look at situations from the perspective of all, not just our own. May we be people of love, empathy, and grace.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Andrea