Thanksgiving

What would you do if God sent you a bill for all the things God has given you, just like the electric bill, or the water bill?” Many of us, I believe, go through our lives completely taking for granted all the gifts that are around us. We need to be able to take some time and reflect on all the things that are in our lives that we receive. We need to be reminded that there are reasons to be thankful.

It sometimes is a shame that we only take one day a year to set aside for the specific reason of giving thanks. This is in no way to diminish the importance of Thanksgiving Day and gathering around the table with our family and friends to give thanks, but should we not be thankful every day of our lives? Why does it take a special day on the calendar to remind us to be thankful?

With all the events, and things we have in our life, it can be an easy process to overlook those things that remind us of the great gifts of God. We lock our car doors and roll up the windows tightly so that we can pretend not to see the homeless on the side of the street. Neither do we hear the cries of those who might not know from where their next meal will be coming from. When we receive news about the destruction of the family of a relative or friend we slowly shake our heads and say “tisk, tisk.”

It is only in those times in which problems raise up within our own lives do we really begin to pay attention. Those times when we are the ones being affected by the results of tests on our health, or when sudden tragedies’ fall upon us with the loss of someone close to us. At these moments in our lives, we are powerfully reminded how many good things we had prior to the onset of those troubling things.

In the Bible, Jesus tells the parable of a man who believed that he had all the things he needed and could only look to the future with certainties. He tells the story in this way:

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12: 16 – 21) Jesus is reminding us that not only is life short and we are never aware when the end may come, but that we always should be happy with the things we have.

Taking time to give thanks should then be an ongoing course of action! As Paul wrote to the Philippians: “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4: 4 -5) Our thanksgiving should be an ongoing event.

As we come up on this year’s Thanksgiving Day and we take time to gather around the table to eat the traditional dinner, let us also lift up our continuing thanks to God for all that God has given to us throughout our life. Nevertheless, let us each day give thanks also.

One thing that might give your holiday a new twist would be to invite a member of the church that might not be having family or friends coming over this year. There might be a family who might not be able to have the meal because of the current economic conditions of the country. You might invite them to your table. Have a great Thanksgiving. Praying for you as I hope that you are praying for me.

-Pastor Craig