Giving Thanks

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only three weeks away??? I certainly can’t! This year has flown by for me.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?), Thanksgiving is a holiday that is overlooked these days. Maybe it’s because we don’t give gifts or candy. I noticed this year that most of the stores had Halloween items on a few aisles and Christmas decorations on the remaining holiday aisles. When I was in WalMart on Halloween, they were busy taking down all of the Halloween stuff and putting out the rest of the Christmas merchandise. It breaks my heart that Christmas has become so commercialized. I am thankful, myself, that Thanksgiving isn’t commercialized. It can’t be — it is a holiday of the heart. I know that Christmas is too, but there are no gifts to be given for Thanksgiving, just a thankful heart. Now, Thanksgiving may not be as commercialized as Christmas, but most of the time it isn’t celebrated with true thanksgiving, either.

The Thanksgiving holiday isn’t about getting together with your family to eat turkey and dressing (although, I do love some turkey and dressing with my family), it’s about searching your heart and giving thanks for the many blessings that God bestows upon you, and even for the times of pain and suffering. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” God has a plan. Sometimes we can’t see it and we will not see the “big picture” until His return. But we have to know in our hearts that, as Christians, everything, every circumstance is of God’s doing. Yes, this even means the not-so-happy times in our lives, too. Romans 5:2-5 says “…And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who He has given us.” Another thing to be thankful for this holiday season….

This Thanksgiving, I fervently pray that we will all stop for just a minute to think of all the people and things and circumstances in our lives that we have to be thankful for. I pray that we can all take a moment during the busy day of family get-togethers to stop, bow our heads, and offer thanks unto the Lord for all He has given us, good or bad.

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!