GRATEFUL FOR THINGS THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN

Thanksgiving is usually a time to list our gratitudes.

There are many things to be grateful, but what about giving thanks for all the prayers that averted disaster?

We don’t worry about dying from starvation in Canada or going without clothes or drinking contaminated water.

We discount minor things like running out of gas or the car breaking down or avoiding a fatal accident.

Two years ago, our friends were taking a road trip for a romantic getaway. They were upset when they both missed the alarm and got up late. However, a radio commentator warned commuters of a highway shootout. The location of the shootout was exactly where they would have been if they had left on time. Thank God for traveling mercy prayers.

Sometimes we don't know why the answer is no or not yet until years later; most times we may never know.

Grateful for toilet paper - the alternatives are not particularly appealing.