Todah Today - The Power of Thanksgiving

[00:00:16] Speaker A: Is probably the second day I felt the most normal over the last two weeks because I finally get to wear an actual shirt instead of a tank top. For those who don't know, about two and half weeks ago I was involved in a really bad car accident. I actually don't remember it. I remember passing the school and then I remember waking up in the Er and I've had these last couple of weeks to think about this and reflect over it. And here's some things I took away from it during passover. We say Dianu, it would have been sufficient, right? And I thought to myself that it would have been sufficient just to wake up in the hospital but not make it out. And I kind of went through the whole line that I am actually a very blessed and thankful person today, that I can walk, that I have most of my mobility in my hands and my arm, even though it hurts on my arm from all the lacerations and such. This car accident, I'm thankful that the kid that hit me is okay because it could have been really bad for him as well. He could have passed away from this accident. It was bad. It happened just a quarter mile down the road here on Newfursyth. But when you're that close to dying and you don't even know it and you look back on it, you reflect on it, it creates perspective. And the first thing in perspective is that you start realizing to be thankful for a lot of things that you otherwise would not known to be thankful for something as simple as being able to take a shower. I sat there this morning, soaked my wounds in the warm water so they would soften up and heal. And I was thinking to myself, I'm thankful just to be able to be in this warm shower. It could have not been warm, could not be a shower. I'm thankful for the medical professionals that I've had the opportunity to get to know over the last two weeks. I'm going to give a quick shout out. I know this physician will not ever give himself any credit, so I'm going to give him a little credit. But I'm actually thankful for Dr. Eisner. If it wasn't for him, I probably would not be seeing right now. With a little bit of vision I got in my left eye. He caught it when nobody else did that I had a full cornea cut. So there's a lot of things in this world to be thankful for. I know we just had yesterday's Thanksgiving, but the season of itself is worth noting because there are so many things that we just flippantly, let go walk away from. Don't think about when that in itself was a blessing. When that in itself could have been the difference between you being here and not being here. So I wish I could remember the accident to some measure because I have to look at photos to know that I was actually sitting in that car. But when you wake up in the Er. And you're looking around and you have to understand, miranda and I have taken care of a lot of family members who've sat in hospital beds. And then to sit here and look at yourself in a hospital bed going, why am I here? What happened to me? Again, it puts things into perspective. There's things in this world that just shouldn't even bother you anymore. It's like, wow, I could be really bothered by that. But I'm not, because perspective, I could be dead right now. So first and foremost, thankful to God for keeping me here. Thankful to my wife for putting up with me, because I'm not always the easiest patient in the world. I'm a very headstrong individual that says, okay, I've only been in the hospital bed for one day. It's time to get up and start walking. And the nurse is over here freaking out that I'm about to get out of the bed. But I'm thankful for my community because it's because of you all and your prayers that I'm here today. And then I'm walking and I'm talking. I got all my teeth. The worst injury I have is my eye. I got some scrapes on my arms, blasperations on my leg. My left side of my body sucks. I'm all right. But I just want to tell you all I'm thankful for you. I am. I'm thankful for Rabbi, thankful for the for my Shalom community. I'm thankful for my family, both my in laws, because my wife has some amazing people that is her family that I get to call family. But I'm thankful. I'm grateful. It could be worse, and I'm sitting here as a walking miracle. So if you ever struggled believing in God, just look at me and realize he has to exist because he kept this mug alive. But that's all I have to say. Thank you all. [00:04:44] Speaker B: There's a great Tony Robbins phrase. He always says, turn decades into days. Turn decades into days. And what that means is learn from people. Learn from the careers and the expertise of people who've gone before you. Condense their decades of investment into learning into days. Go to a seminar, read a book. Learn. Listen to something decades into days. It's very smart and good advice. What you just experienced was a slightly different phenomenon, sort of an opposite learning mechanism that sometimes very brief, life changing moments are equally beneficial in something very valuable in your life to experience someone else's tragedy and triumph and trial and overcoming and then apply it to your own life. We might call this moments into milestones versus decades into days. Moments into life changing milestones in your life. For Wesley, certainly that was that. A moment of experience that changes your life. A wreck is an obvious one. There are many other ones who knows what an NDE is? A near death experience, a serious health challenge, all kinds of things. But all of this stuff, especially a moment for Wesley, literally a millisecond into a transformation of developing the most important muscle you have. We just celebrated it, didn't we? Your gratitude muscle, your Thanksgiving muscle. And I don't mean the thigh on your turkey. This is the most important muscle you have, actually. And what else did you think we would talk about after Thanksgiving weekend? Right. It's 100% practical. There are many, many moments that become milestones in your life. Sometimes you'll have a moment into a milestone where someone does something for you, whether it is an act of kindness, unexpected, whether it is some kind of heroism, something that someone does that transforms your life. For many people, becoming a parent is one of those transformative moments where, you know, you see this child and you know, never again will I be the same. That's absolutely changed my life. We, at some point make a decision in our lives to overcome a certain addiction or a personal struggle, and it changes everything from that point forward. That moment, that very famous addiction moment where you say, god, if you'll take this away from me, I promise I will never X. But some people do that, and it's a moment into a milestone. Sometimes people travel to another country where they work as a missionary for a week, and they have this reprioritization. Sometimes there is a moment of deep reconciliation or forgiveness that occurs in a relationship, and you realize, that changes everything. I got to be a different person, whatever the case may be, the challenge is this wesley is how many weeks out from that? Three? Four? I don't remember. But what happens for so many of us is those moments that we think will become milestones don't. Because we forget about them. Our gratitude muscle, what's the atrophies? You lose it. You don't think about it. You forget it. So that moment I wanted Wesley to share, because I want you to realize and remember this very sort of downer thing. Your time on Earth is very, very short, and it can end in a millisecond, half a mile on your way to synagogue. Boom. That's it. It's over. It's done. That's the frailty of life. You can need a kidney transplant, and no one shows up to give you one and you die. There are a lot of things that can happen in life that end your life, and the answer like, how quickly can it come to an end? But then ask this question who saved Wesley? Was it God, or was it Toyota? He was driving a Rav four. Well, I mean, no matter how you want to answer it, either way you look at it, it's God. Do you know why? Because God gives wisdom to the engineers at Toyota who develop cars that save people's lives. God gave us that Chocma bina Dat he gives us. We pray for that every single day. God give us that. Or maybe it's just that that ugly mug he just broadcast those were his words? Not exactly. Sorry, I took it a little bit further. You didn't say ugly. I added that for you. Maybe God just has more for Him to do on the earth than he was. That's not his know? Either way, God saved Wesley for a purpose. And here's what we do not want to be. We can find it in the story of the Gospels in Luke, while he was on the way to Jerusalem, he was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met him and they raised their voices, saying yeshua, Master, have mercy on us. And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice and he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan then Yeshua answered and said were there not ten cleansed, but the Nine? Where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner. And he said to him stand up and go. Your faith has made you well. Who do you want to be? The one or the nine. The One is who we're called to be. And one day a year where we eat turkey and thank God for the massive amount of food that's laid out before us is not really what it means to be thankful. What it really means Judaism tells and teaches is for every small miracle, the fact that a foot more a foot more in his case. They told me that the steering wheel was touching the radio. They told me that the brake pedal was over the gas pedal that's the level of impact the car door was off. A foot more. That's a small thing to be thankful for. But how about this? Like he said, hot water when it's a little cool. How about breath that you woke up and breathed today? These are things to be thankful for every day of your life. That's why we say mode anili Faneka melekai vikayam thank you, God, for restoring my soul within me every day. How abundant is your compassion? That's what it means to be thankful. And that's what I wanted you to get today. So you have to ask two questions. I want you to ask actually, this is your Toda today homework. You ready? Toda means thank you. Today means today. Who are you thankful for? Remember I told you you have to tell people things when we were leading up to the holidays? I told you that root word for I'm sorry and thank you. It's the same word, but you have to tell people that you can't think it. You have to tell them that. So who didn't you thank over the holidays? Say thankful. Say thank you to them. Be thankful. What are you most thankful for? What is the one thing that you are most thankful for? I want you to think about it. And I'm tricking you because as you think through all of the things to the one thing, you know what you're doing one of the most powerful exercises you can do for happiness in your life, to recognize all the good, it can be one thing, but all of it builds to make you a better person. And here's the thing. What are you most grateful for in terms of the challenges you face this year? And secondly, what are you most thankful that God has given you the skills and the talents and the abilities to do next year that you're going to do? Think about those things. That's your homework, okay? Gratitude is not a it's not some mystical kind of thing like where we just it's not mystical. It's real. It's scientific. And that's the bottom line. If you don't even believe in God, and I think everyone in this room does, I think everyone does, these are the things, and I'm actually going to end right here. Wesley did five minutes. I'm doing ten. It's a miraculous day. Scientific findings. Listen, Irvin could probably corroborate with me on this. Gratitude, improved mental health, stress reduction, enhanced physical health, promotion of positive relationships, increased resilience, fostering altruism and generosity, mindfulness and spiritual presence. What a list from one little thing of saying thank you and recognizing the good in your life. So that's what I want you to do. That's the message you needed. Whether you're what what if you there are a lot of people in this service who aren't American. They didn't celebrate with their big turkey and mashed potato plates. So what? It's a universal concept. It's for all of us. Gratitude. And here's what we end with. Hodula donaikitov kile alam KASTO. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Wesley would agree. His mercy endures forever. Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And here's the biggie from Colossians three. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves in tender compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other. If anyone has a grievance against another, just as the Lord pardoned you, so also you must pardon others. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfect harmony. Let the shalom of Messiah rule in your hearts. To this shalom you were surely called, in one body also. Be thankful. Let the word of Messiah dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom in psalms and hymns and spiritual psalms, singing with gratitude in your hearts to God. Isn't that beautiful singing with gratitude in your hearts to God. And so that's what I want to do today. That's why I'm not teaching very much because we're going to sing with gratitude in our hearts to God. I did this part first because it's the most important thing I wanted you to hear. And if you don't like music or you don't like Travis, you don't have to stay for the whole music thing. You're released at any time you want. But we're going to sing together with you, songs of gratitude from our hearts. So everybody knows how to say thank you in Hebrew, right? [00:17:08] Speaker C: Toda. [00:17:11] Speaker B: And rabba means like a lot. It means great, like Hoshana rabba the great Hoshana. So this song is called toda rabba lacha. That means thank you greatly to you. And it moves quickly in Hebrew. But we're going to start y'all with something a little more lively. John, you know how to play the cajone? You know how to play the cajone? I can make a joke out of that, but I won't. You don't have to. [00:17:50] Speaker C: Here we go. Sing with me. I will tell you, most of what. [00:17:54] Speaker B: We'Re going to do today is going to be worship. But you need to have a little bit of blood flowing. Get all that tryptophan out of your system, right? [00:18:02] Speaker C: Doubt about aka David hashemi but I share me but I shami but I shami but I'm cool after all right? That's how it goes. [00:18:40] Speaker B: Blake, would you put some of Lance's voice in this monitor for us? Now you guys sing it with me. [00:18:48] Speaker C: To doubt about a car to doubt about a car doubt about a car doubt about a car hashemi but I sham me but I shall be but. [00:20:02] Speaker D: I shall be but I'll call out. [00:20:06] Speaker C: The be I'll call out the be I'll call out the be I'll call out to be? Shit, I'll say shit, I'll say shit, I'll say deep shit I'll say took out about a car took out about a car hashemi but I shami but I shami but I shami but I call out the deep I'll call out the deep I'll call out to be I'll call out to be shit, I'll say shit, I'll say shit I'll say tea shift house 18 took out of Aleca took out of Aleca took out of Aleca took out of Aleca. [00:21:16] Speaker D: Close it. [00:21:21] Speaker B: Second time. [00:22:07] Speaker C: Came here broken you made me whole. You have been so good you have been so good you have been so good to me. How can I thank you? There is just no way how can I thank you, Lord? How could I repay for your kindness? For your Tennessee for your constant presence here with me? You have been so good to me you have been so good to me I came here broken you made me whole you have been so good you have been so good you have been. [00:24:02] Speaker D: So good to me. [00:24:09] Speaker C: How can I thank you? There is just no way how can I thank you, Lord? How could I repay for your kindness? For your Tennessee, for your constant presence here with me? You you have been so good to me. You have been so good to me. I came here broken. You made me whole. You have been so good? You have been so good you have been so good to me. You hear my broken heart? You are my father in heaven? You are so good to me? You hear my broken heart? [00:26:23] Speaker D: You are my father. [00:26:29] Speaker C: You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song. You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song. You ride upon the cloud. You leave me to the truth. You are the spirit inside of me. You ride upon the clouds. [00:26:59] Speaker D: You lead me to the truth you are the spirit inside of me you. [00:27:08] Speaker C: Are beautiful my sweet, sweet song you are beautiful my sweet, sweet song you are beautiful my sweet, sweet song now we'll sing again. [00:27:31] Speaker D: Close you are my strong melody. [00:27:42] Speaker C: You. [00:27:42] Speaker D: Are my dancing you are my perfect arrive and I sing your love ever. [00:28:03] Speaker C: You poured out all your blood you died upon the cross you are my shoe of love you poured out all your blood you died on the cross. [00:28:23] Speaker D: You are my shoe love me you. [00:28:30] Speaker C: Are beautiful my sweet, sweet song? You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song. [00:28:42] Speaker D: You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song. [00:28:47] Speaker C: And I will sing again I will sing again I will sing again. [00:29:06] Speaker D: I. [00:29:07] Speaker C: Will sing again. [00:29:10] Speaker D: Close. [00:29:15] Speaker C: You are my Father in heaven. [00:29:22] Speaker D: You. [00:29:23] Speaker C: Are the spirit inside of me you are my yeshua. Who love me. [00:29:36] Speaker D: You. [00:30:09] Speaker C: Patiently upon the Lord and he inclined and heard my cry he pulled me up out of the fiery clay he set my feet upon the rock he gave me beauty for ashes and joyful my morning and praise for every he put a new song in my mouth and crown upon my head he gave me life forgive so good, so, so good to me so good, so good to me so good so good to me yes, you are yes so good so, so good to me so good, so good to me so good so, so good to me yes, you are yeah will it pick me up? And he turned me around and he placed my feet on the solid ground hallelujah hallelujah will it? Pick me up and he turned me around and he placed my feet on the solid ground hallelujah. Hallelujah willie pick me up. And he turned me around and he placed my feet on the solid ground hallelujah. Hallelujah well, he picked me up and he turned me around and he placed my feet on the solid ground hallelujah hallelujah so good, so good to me so good, so good to me so good, so good to me yes, you are yes. So good so, so good to me so good so, so good to me so good so, so good to me yes, you are yeah. I got love, joy, peace and righteousness in the Holy Spirit whoa, yeah I got love, joy, peace and righteousness in the Holy Spirit whoa, yeah got one more. I got love, joy, peace and righteousness in the Holy Spirit whoa, yeah so good so, so good to me so good so good to be yeshua. Ashray yours. [00:35:04] Speaker D: Ray take out. [00:35:09] Speaker C: Ashray yours. [00:35:11] Speaker D: Really take out. [00:35:16] Speaker C: Oh yeah hallelujah. Hallelujah. Say loud blessed are those who dwell in your house blessed are those who. [00:35:41] Speaker D: Dwell in your house. [00:37:09] Speaker C: Will ever be singing your praise ever be saying your praise your praise to keep I don't. [00:39:44] Speaker D: Know keep. [00:41:43] Speaker C: Thanks for the Lord is good his mercy ever endorsemi toe KLE and it's mercy ever and mercy ever endors. He is alive unto the nations. He is our refuge in the stone. He is our peace and tribulation. He is our hope. [00:43:57] Speaker D: The holy one. Oh do I the night. [00:44:11] Speaker C: They'Ll I. [00:44:12] Speaker D: Don'T do love on the key soul. [00:44:22] Speaker C: Here we bow in adoration. Give him thanks for stand in revelation. [00:44:36] Speaker D: We are. [00:45:02] Speaker C: Home. All the hungry, all the water thirsty come from the east and the west. All who are broken. All the mercy drink from the fountain. [00:45:38] Speaker D: The river. [00:45:51] Speaker C: Is love indoor forever. [00:46:04] Speaker D: Oh, he is good always. [00:46:12] Speaker C: Love indoor. [00:46:16] Speaker D: Is good forever. Always good. Always love and know is good forever. Close. [00:47:07] Speaker C: Good his love and doors. [00:47:11] Speaker D: Give thanks to the Lord. He is good. I won't do. I don't like the holy ladle. [00:48:21] Speaker C: Stone. [00:48:23] Speaker D: Do ladder night keep. [00:48:28] Speaker B: We say thank you to the father. [00:48:30] Speaker C: With these words who do. [00:48:35] Speaker D: Ladder night keep soul. [00:48:40] Speaker C: Kilaka stone ladder night. Your love alone reaches to the heaven. Your faithfulness stretches to the sky. Your right justness like the mighty mountains. Your justice flows like the ocean. I will lift my. [00:50:31] Speaker D: To worship you, my king. [00:50:38] Speaker C: I will find my strength in the. [00:50:43] Speaker D: Shadow of your way. Your love you reaches to the heaven. [00:51:02] Speaker C: Your faithfulness stretches to the sky. [00:51:13] Speaker D: Your justice like bottom mountain. [00:51:24] Speaker C: Your justice flow like the ocean I will live. [00:51:54] Speaker D: My voice to worship you, my king. I will find my in the shadow your way. [00:52:15] Speaker C: Your love alone reaches to the heaven your faithfulness stretches to the all the earth rejoice all the earth rejoice. [00:53:31] Speaker D: He. [00:53:31] Speaker C: Wraps himself in light darkness tries trembles at his voice. Trembles at his voice. How great say with me how great is I got always see how great how great is I got. [00:54:13] Speaker D: Close you name above all days worthy of praise my heart will sing I'll grace I got close. [00:54:39] Speaker C: Gado aloha Shiru ki gado aloha Kolika ki gado godo shiro ki gado. [00:55:19] Speaker D: Ki. [00:55:20] Speaker C: Gado. [00:55:54] Speaker D: Shell and I worship what I am. [00:56:06] Speaker C: Living. I see. I know. Hello. [00:56:18] Speaker D: Great I got sing with me. How great I got how great is I got the o. [00:56:49] Speaker C: Kigado hello, high. Call it. Kigado. [00:57:02] Speaker D: Aloha. [00:57:09] Speaker C: Gado. Hello, High. Shiro ki gado. Hello high kole haggi kikato aloha. [00:57:33] Speaker D: It. [00:59:27] Speaker C: With all my heart you given me a brand new start I just want. [00:59:34] Speaker D: To sing this song to you. [00:59:40] Speaker C: Goes like this before the fifth minor fallen major lift my heart and soul I praise it hallelujah. [00:59:54] Speaker D: Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [01:00:05] Speaker C: Ha it know that you're the God above you filling me with grace and love I just want to say thank you to you pull me from the my replace given me a brand new day and all that I can say hallelujah. [01:02:31] Speaker D: Hallelujah. [01:02:35] Speaker C: Love. [01:02:48] Speaker D: Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelu oya hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelu. Oya. [01:03:51] Speaker B: It one more to send you out. Yeah. I need my brother up here with. [01:04:06] Speaker C: His Les Paul turned up on eleven. Let the glory of the Lord rise among us. Let the glory of the Lord rise among us. Let the praises of the king rise among us. Let it rise. Let the song of the Lord rise among us. Let the song of the Lord rise among us. Let the joy of the king rise among us. Let it rise. Whoa. Let it rise. [01:05:05] Speaker D: Close you. [01:05:12] Speaker C: Let it rise. Let the song of the Lord rise among us. Let the song of the Lord rise among us. Let the glory of the Lord rise among us. Let the praises of the king rise among us. Let it rise. Let it rise. [01:06:58] Speaker D: Whoa. [01:07:00] Speaker C: Let her eyes. [01:07:05] Speaker D: Whoa. [01:07:10] Speaker C: Let her eyes one more. Come on, everybody now. [01:07:15] Speaker D: Whoa. [01:07:19] Speaker C: Let her eyes.