Give Thanks

This past Thursday, the United States of America celebrated one of the biggest holidays of the year.  November 22nd, the national day of giving thanks.

Kitchens were filled with the aroma of a feast.
People said "Thank you" to each other.
Men held doors open for ladies.
Families gathered around big dining room tables to share a meal together.
Those blessed with plenty paused to help those who weren't.
Laughter sang.
Tears ran.
Great-granparents met their new great-grandbabies.
Football games were watched.
Loved ones embraced each other.
Phone calls were made to those who couldn't be near.
Lots of food was eaten.
Lists were made of things we were thankful for.
People thought of each other.
And we all gave thanks.

I wish everyday was Thanksgiving.  It was a day I didn't think about myself.  Alright, I didn't think about myself so much. :)

Truly, it did my soul good to recount God's faithfulness to me over the past year.  Often, I get caught up in the "woes of life", and loose sight of the truth of God's promises.  It reminds me of He's Always Been Faithful, a song by Sara Groves:

Morning by morning I wake up to find
the power and comfort of God's hand in mine.
Season by season I watch him amazed, in
awe of the mystery of his perfect ways

All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me

I can't remember a trial or a pain he did
not recycle to bring me gain. I can't
remember one single regret in serving
God only and trusting his hand

All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me

This is my anthem, this is my song, the

theme of the stories I've heard for so long.
God has been faithful, he will be again.
His loving compassion, it knows no end.

All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me



Yeah, it was sweet time.

I heard a story a few years ago about a man who was in a Starbucks drive-thru sometime during the holiday season.  While paying for his drink at the window, he also paid for the drink of the lady in the car behind him.  When she got to the window, she paid for the drink of the person behind her.  The pattern continued for 15 people, I think.

That should happen more often.

We as Christians, should be looking to reach out in love to others.  Laying down our lives for those around us..... even if that is something as small as buying a total stranger a coffee.  Wouldn't that be a wonderful start to conversation.  Gaaaaah... it'd be amazing?!?!  To be at Starbucks, offer to buy someone's drink, start chit-chatting and end up sharing the Gospel with them!?!?  Hello!!!....That would be pretty awesome!

Oh, that I would be others focused!  I pray I become more so.

As we celebrated this Thanksgiving by gathering together with family, eating to much pie, sharing our thankfulness with each other, and once again remembering God's faithfulness, let's not stop as the holiday comes to a close and everyone starts gearing up for Christmas.  Sure, Thanksgiving is a nationally recognized holiday, to pause our busy lives, to look at the past year and see God's faithfulness in our lives.  What a beautiful time to set aside and recount our blessings!  Let's not confine our expression of our gratefulness to the 3rd Thursday in November (or whatever it is).

Take time to pause and pray over your meal when you are eating out.
Look people in the face and say "Thank You.  I hope you have a blessed day."
Share things with your family.... tell them about the faithfulness of God.
Genuinely tell people you are thankful for them.... you don't know how much it means until someone does it to you.
Be openly thankful.

Let's give thanks, out loud, unashamedly, every day.