Thanksgiving (Every) Day
There’s something about Thanksgiving — it’s not a religious holiday like Christmas and Easter, but it’s not the same as other national holidays either. It stands alone as a day of unique purpose — to acknowledge how richly blessed we are, and to be thankful for the many blessings in our lives. One of the most heart-warming activities of the season is to see churches, charities, and other organizations who give of their time and resources to serve a traditional dinner to those who otherwise would be alone or not have a meal at all. As we are blessed, so we are fortunate to be blessings to others.
There may be times when we wish for a Thanksgiving celebration that looks like a Norman Rockwell painting of homey perfection, but in reality, we find ways to make Thanksgiving happen in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. The food, the decorations, even the people around us, become meaningful when our hearts are filled with gratitude.
My own family’s first Thanksgiving in Iowa is still one of our most memorable. We arrived in the summer with a preschooler and a baby on the way. We rented a house and became acquainted with our nice neighbors (including our landlord) in a little over four months, and then the time came for the baby to make her appearance. She was born on a Sunday afternoon, and the following Thursday, we arrived home. There was a lot of hustle and bustle getting into the house, dealing with an excited little boy and a four-day-old baby, but we got ourselves settled. A little later, there was a knock on the door, and there were the neighbors from both sides, carrying plates of turkey, potatoes and gravy, and all the trimmings — even pumpkin pie! Talk about thankful! Everyone held and admired the new baby and then tactfully left, and no meal has ever tasted better. We were truly grateful for such thoughtful neighbors.
There’s an article in a recent issue of our local newspaper about the health benefits of having a positive attitude and expressing appreciation for even the smallest things in life on a regular basis. It makes good sense, doesn’t it? Being angry, defensive, or negative is enough to raise the blood pressure or cause a stomach ache. So, instead of focusing on one day, we can spread out the thankfulness, and in doing so, we’re likely to find good things in every day!
On Thanksgiving and every day, we praise God for the great gift of his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He lived among us, teaching and preaching, sharing the message of God’s boundless love for his children and his creation. We are called and privileged to share this message with all humanity, and as we do, we are further blessed and strengthened to continue serving in God’s name. so
“O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”– Psalm 95:1-2
Your thankful friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers