An Unexpected Answer

Thanksgiving is this week and I have a feeling that a lot of people might be finding it hard to be thankful. Between the horrible pandemic going on, the economy being shaky, and a lot of people out of work, it probably is really hard to find things to be thankful for. Or maybe not?

I remember it like it happened yesterday, but it was actually 28 years ago. A close friend of mine asked me to ride mountain bikes with him after work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It was going to be a long tough ride for both of us, but we figured it would be a great way to work up an appetite for the upcoming Thanksgiving feast!

At that point in my life, my business (Sundown Lighting) was really taking off. I had been in business for over five years and had 12 outstanding employees, hundreds of customers, and dozens of loyal vendors. My friend was thinking about leaving his job as an electrician and starting his own Electrical Contracting business and I didn’t realize it at the time, but his main reason for wanting to ride bikes together was so that he could pick my brain about running a business.

At first, we talked about all the work involved with starting a business from scratch. Then he hit me with a question that I wasn’t expecting. “What is the secret of your success?” It kind of caught me off guard because I hadn’t really thought about it before, but the answer rolled off my lips almost instantly. “My connection with God.”

He responded with, “Really?” (Guess he wasn’t expecting that answer.) I explained, “Yeah, It’s really simple. There was a time when my life was really messed up. I was at rock bottom but decided to talk to God and ask Him for His help. From that day forward, my life turned around and just kept getting better and better. So I made it a point to start every day with a prayer of thanks and I have continued that habit to this day. And believe me - I am thankful - because I discovered that having a strong connection with God, talking to him daily, and appreciating and thanking Him for even the smallest things going right in my life made me happy. It also made we want to give back and do right by others the way God was always doing right by me. Simply put, having a heavenly connection brought me joy. And my joy, the love for life that I’ve had ever since, seems to flow outward to my family, friends, employees, customers, and vendors. And guess what? It then seems to come right back in the form of success, for all of us!”

I probably should have asked him for his definition of success before answering. But the heavenly connection that I am so thankful for, the one that brings me great joy… that’s my definition of success!

May the light of God’s love shine upon you

And guide you where ere you may be,

Making lighter earth’s burdens and sorrows

Keeping your soul joyous and free.

~ Gertrude Buckingham, 1948