Give Thanks!

               In two days, we will celebrate Thanksgiving.  For many of us it has become a day when we overindulge in all the delicious food that is served, enjoy time with family and friends, watch football and/or old movies, and generally have a day of laughter and enjoyment.  In many ways, it’s not much different from any other holiday.

 

            That’s a far cry from why it was originally established.  The first Thanksgiving was a harvest celebration.  The Pilgrims and Indians came together to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.  Later, George Washington called for a day of thanks when the Revolutionary War ended, and President Abraham Lincoln was the first to recognize it as a national holiday, giving thanks for Union victories during the Civil War.

 

            So, what does it mean to be thankful?  Thankfulness has been defined as being “happy or grateful for something.”  Grateful is defined as “a strong feeling of appreciation to someone or something for what the person has done to help you.”

However, The Christian theologian, Tim Keller, says, “It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.”  I’m sure that we all have a thousand things that we are grateful for.  We could name family, friends, jobs, good health, and the list could go on and on.  The question is:  How will we express that gratitude?  What will our “thankfulness” look like?

 

            As you come around the family table on Thursday, I encourage you to consider two things:

 

First, what gratitude do you feel towards your Heavenly Father, and how will you express your thankfulness to Him?  Will you and your family and friends take a few moments during the hustle and bustle to stop and give Him praise and thanks for all that He has done for each of us?

 

Second, what gratitude do you feel towards those who share that table with you, and how will you express your thankfulness to them?  Maybe this should be the holiday where we each take a few moments to express our gratitude for those who join us at the table.

 

We all have friends or family members who will be missing from that table this year, and we probably all have things we wish we had said before it was too late.  Don’t wait until it’s too late to tell those that will be with you on Thursday.  Let them know how much you love and appreciate them. 

Fortunately, it’s never too late to give thanks to our Father for all that He has done.  Make expressing gratitude to Him a priority every day.  Make every day Thanksgiving Day!

“1Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever.”

2Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

3Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136: 1 – 3 NIV84).

Philippians 1: 3

II Corinthians 9: 15

I Thessalonians 5: 18

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