A Time for Thanksgiving

I was recently scrolling on social media when a famous individual’s quote came across my screen, and it just so happened to change how I view the Thanksgiving season.  

It went like this: “What if today we were just grateful for everything?”

Those wise words are spoken by none other than the bald-headed hero, Charlie Brown.

This time next week, families across the nation will be cooking, celebrating, and enjoying time with their loved ones. Adult children will make their way home for the holidays, kiddos will eagerly wait and watch for turkey-themed floats, and mothers everywhere will be franticly watching oven timers. And while these are not bad things, they can often cast our attention off the real reason for the upcoming holiday – thanksgiving.

Merriam-Webster describes thanksgiving as: “a public acknowledgment of celebration of the divine: the act of giving thanks: a prayer expressing gratitude.”

Personally, the phrase “celebration of the divine” excites me. I think it accurately describes how it feels to be thankful for something! When we are thankful, we tend to celebrate everything in our lives. It is the opposite of what it looks like to be unappreciative, which the dictionary defines as “not giving recognition or thanks for something: showing no appreciation: not appreciative.”

Sure, we’ll offer thanksgiving and celebrate if someone is healed, we get a job promotion, or we’re finally getting a new car. Those are worth celebrating!

But what about the things that are a little more mechanical in our lives? Things like running water, a vehicle that cranked, warm clothes on a cool fall day, or even our next breath. Those things are all important, but we tend not to recognize and acknowledge those blessings when something goes wrong, or they aren’t as easily accessible.

Yet, as the Thanksgiving is upon us, I tend to ponder Mr. Brown’s question.

“What if today we were just grateful for everything?”

Are we thankful for everything? Or only some of the things? Are we celebrating the real meaning of the season? Or have we turned on holiday auto-pilot mode? Do we already have a social media post with gratitude planned out? Better yet, do we mean the words we type, or is it all for show?

The things we have been given are gifts, and we should cherish each of them. In James 1:17, Scripture says,

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

Running water? Heat or air conditioning? A car to get you to and from? Food in your kitchen? Have a family or friends that loves you? Does your spouse arrive home safe and sound each day? Health? Clothing? Another breath? The list of these good gifts is endless! How would the world look if we spent our time being grateful for everything?

I pray you would consider Charlie’s question daily and stay grateful for everything – because those blessings are a good gift from the Creator of all!

Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 106:1)

If this blog finds you in a season where it is hard to say thanks for anything – much less everything – I pray that you take time to count the small things and remember the big God you serve. He is with you always.