Giving Thanks

 

It is about that time, the time when we gather to give thanks!  Over the years, especially when all the children were home, I continuously tried to find ways for us to make November a ‘month’ of Thanksgiving.  Many times, it was our chain of thanks.  Slips of paper donned each person’s plate every dinner in November.  We each wrote on that slip what we were thankful for and shared it with each other.  Then we would connect the slips of paper and the chain would begin.  You can imagine, with six of us, how the chain swerved in an out of all the areas of the kitchen and often extended into other areas of the home.  I pray that our children’s memories of that are as fond as mine!!

As I think back on those days, and other ways we tried to share thanks during November, I remember our thanks being the ‘positive’ things we were thankful for – our family members, our friends, educators, pastors, things we received, etc.  We always focused on what we had received for which we were thankful.  Today’s verse, though, reminds me of many ways we should have had this verse ‘front and center’ for our thankful sessions.

Each part of these verses brings forward the value of thanksgiving.  Please walk with me as I reflect on how Thanksgiving can be ‘improved’!

·        Rejoice Always – not just on Thanksgiving Day, not just during the month of November, but every day, throughout the year!  This can be hard to do. Our days get busy, our minds flow elsewhere, and the wonderful, gentle blessings we receive during the day get passed over as we race to the next thing to do.  Rejoicing always means that our thankful spirit is always looking for the blessings and always looking to God.  It means we need to be mindful of all that is around us and the impact and importance of it all. 

·        Pray Continually – not just in the morning or evening, not just when we need that ‘special something,’ not just at dinner time, but ALL the time.  Prayer has always been to me a conversation with God; time to share with Him all that is right and not so right in life and have Him share with me my role in it all.  Again, when the day gets busy, we may forget to spend that time with God throughout the day or focus on just when we need something.  It means never giving up on the prayers that are close to our hearts and thanking him for the blessings He gives.

·        Give Thanks in ALL Circumstances – so hard to do!  It is easy to give thanks when our prayers are answered, or the blessings are right in front of our faces.  It is so much more difficult to thank Jesus when things are hard, when jobs are lost, when finances are tough, when test results are not what we wanted to hear.  Instead of doubting where God is during those times, giving thanks during those times deepens our faith.  When we give thanks during challenging times, we are saying to God, “I trust you that all things will work out to your will – your perfect will.”  Thanks can seem a tall order, but when our faith deepens, we are lifted up.

During this Thanksgiving, may we find ways to rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances to the glory of God.  May our hope and love in Jesus bring us to a deeper reliance on Him.  May Thanksgiving become every day!

Heavenly Father, thank you for providing us Scripture that we can live by EVERY day.  In your name, Amen!