Thanksgiving has become the forgotten holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas. Usually, I am so busy thinking about Christmas that I gloss over Thanksgiving. But this year, I think I would like to take some time to be thankful. Christmas is important for obvious reasons, and Halloween has taken over as the 2nd most expensive holiday. But what about Thanksgiving? Do I go through the routine of the day in anticipation of Black Friday? Do I obsess over what food to either make or take to a relative’s house? Do I focus on how to get all the Christmas decorating done before company comes? We have come a long way from how the pilgrims were thankful for an abundant fall harvest, the fact that they survived the voyage and the weather in the new world.
As I was going through my morning, I thought about this upcoming week. My son is coming home from college and, my daughter will be coming home for the first time since she started her new job. I am excited. But I was a little convicted that I do not spend enough time just being grateful. A while ago, I started a gratitude journal. I was doing great with it for some time, but I stopped writing in it. I am going to start the practice of writing in it again. Writing in a gratitude journal allows me to slow down and be grateful for something during the day. So often, for me, I see the chaos around me and not the blessings. I want that to change this year. I am grateful first and foremost for Salvation through Christ. Following that is that the Holy Spirit dwells with me and helps me, intercedes for me, and empowers me.
What about everyday blessings? I am grateful for the beauty of fall, even though it was chilly on my walk today. The late fall is just as beautiful as the early fall to me. Yes, the leaves have lost their luster, but walking through fallen leaves has its own kind of beauty. The crunch and smell of the leaves remind me of being a kid. Friends, family, and I had such fun raking up a big pile of leaves and jumping in them. We all looked forward to the fall bonfires my family would have. Those are some of my best memories. I realized that I have a lot to be thankful for and, I often take most of it for granted. I am grateful for my three children. Not just their physical presence, I am also thankful for their personalities. They each have driven me nuts at times, but I have learned so much and learned to love to a greater capacity. They have stretched me sometimes to the limit, but I would not be the person I am today without each of them.
When my oldest was about a year old, I was watching her in the nursery at church. She was walking away from me, and I thought, “I wonder if she knows how much she is loved?” Immediately I heard in my head, “Do you know how much you are loved?” I have thought about that day on and off over the last 20+ years. Do I know how much God loves me? Do I take His love for granted? I want to take the time to thank God for His love. I am grateful for a heavenly Father who did not spare His only Son for a fallen world. I was thinking about Abraham, Isaac, God, and Jesus. One father is asked to sacrifice his only son, but at the last minute, God spared him. One father willingly sacrificed His Son and did not spare him the agony of death and taking all our sins upon Him. One son was spared to fulfill a promise, a covenant, and one Son was sacrificed to fulfill a promise to redeem the world. I am so grateful for Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice Himself for me, a wretched sinner.
I am going to start my gratitude journal today. So often, during a storm, I ask God to remind me of who He is. I think I need a miracle to see God’s power and authority. If I have a gratitude journal, I can look back on all the blessings He has given me. I will be able to see Him in everyday life, not just in the big miracle moments. Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” I want to start a journey where my attitude becomes “I can do all things through him, who gives me strength.” I want to be grateful for the hills as well as the valleys.
The Bible references being thankful quite often in both the Old and New Testaments. The idea of being thankful is referenced 102 times in the Old Testament and 71 times in the New Testament. We see that an attitude of thankfulness is God’s will for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, states “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” After looking into the meaning of Biblical thankfulness, I see that it is not something physical, something we do, but more of who we are in Christ. By being thankful, we can release the power of God that is in us. Our praise can tell the world of God’s goodness, endurance, and provision. Two examples of this are Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Also, verse 8; “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” I am finding that by giving thanks, it becomes about who God is, not so much about what He has done for me or given me. By being grateful for all his goodness, my heart changes. I can praise His name in my actions and with my words. I pray that I will not have a spirit of murmuring and complaining, which is easy to fall into, but one of Thanksgiving. An attitude of Thanksgiving will enable me to live out Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I have an amazing God who created this world out of nothing. He tells the stars where to shine (Psalm 8:3) and how far the sea can go (Proverbs 8:29). This amazing God lets me call Him Abba Father. How can I not be grateful for everything in my life? I deserve nothing but condemnation, and He offers me abundant life. I pray that I will offer back an attitude of praise and Thanksgiving, not murmuring and complaining. John 16: 33 tells us we will have problems in this world “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” It is up to me to have the right attitude. With God’s power residing in me, I can be thankful for all circumstances. I will start by being grateful for something every day. I am excited to see how God grows my spiritual attitude to reflect Him as I learn to be thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Peace in the Desert 