ENJOY THE NATURE OF THANKSGIVING
Don’t you love the nature of Thanksgiving? For one thing, gratitude is something that most of us can agree upon. That within itself is a miracle. Coming together around a subject we all can appreciate, no matter our other differences, is a wonderful thing to do. Who of us wouldn’t rather be around someone with a heart of gratitude over someone who is constantly irritated, grumpy, and taking life for granted?
If I walked into an unhappy room of sad individuals and said, “Hey, let’s all just learn how to be thankful,” who would dare to disagree? If someone did, it would only be good evidence for furthering the point. Thankfulness is always better, no matter the circumstances.
THE GATHERING TOGETHER
The other thing I truly love about the nature of Thanksgiving is how it forces people to gather together. Folks who might only see each other once a year actually surround a table. They participate in a meal together. Happy conversations are very possible. Surprises about one another are inevitable. There ARE subjects besides politics and religion though the media often makes us forget. Let’s bring those subjects back around during Thanksgiving.
What do you truly know about the people you are talking to on Thanksgiving Day? Do they have a favorite hobby? Are they into art, music, dance, gardening, sports, etc.? Have you ever listened enough to know? Most people are actually glad to slow down. They are happy to talk with one another in person instead of texting messages back and forth.
If you want to be really brave, leave your phone in your car. Just enjoy the company. Talk in person and share your meals for a whole day. It is the nature of Thanksgiving to show genuine care. This day is all about concern for others.
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
I do love that the nature of Thanksgiving is about family and community. We are nothing without each other. Half of the commandments of God are about loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. What better example could we see of this than that first Thanksgiving of American history. It is good to remember a time when the Native Americans and the Pilgrims gathered together and shared their combined thankfulness for the abundance God had provided. Sharing thanks decreases the stress and agony of hard times gone by.
Some of us living today have shared rough times and hard seasons too. Let’s gather and give thanks for the fact that we have survived. We have even come out stronger. Because of this, we can be thankful for a day of rest. We are blessed by good cheer and bountiful tables. That is the nature of Thanksgiving.
CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION
Another thing I love about the nature of Thanksgiving is how it provokes most of us to pause, to pray, to use our creativity and imagination to show God and others how much we appreciate them. It is fun to show creativity in the way we share out thankful thoughts together.
Our food is presented like a work of art upon the tables where we gather. Much thought and devotion is put into the cooking and the arrangements of our décor. Creativity and imagination used properly and with flair is so much fun. Even the beauty of simplicity can shine on Thanksgiving. All of this visible care and concern keeps people aware and alert. This increases our gratitude for more than just the physical things.
The nature of Thanksgiving can come across in a million little ways. A lovely Thanksgiving poem written by someone at the table can add a moment of delightful thought to the day. Offering a sincerely genuine prayer to God can turn the hearts around the table to goodness and righteousness. A warm fire in the fireplace, a colorful display of the fall leaves the season presents to us, a song, a dance, a complimentary word well delivered, a fond memory shared in words. All of these lovely things increase the value of this day and make our hearts feel glad.
A REMINDER TO RENEW YOUR HEART
The timely nature of Thanksgiving means so much more than simply eating turkey and dressing, watching a parade on tv, gathering for a football game, or simply cleaning up and showing up at the table. It means a completely renewed change of heart which increases our awareness of the changing of the season. We pause to remember that we are to be a light in the darkness. It is time to shine. Our emphasis and increased awareness of gratitude can make all the difference in the dark days of winter which are coming.
Thankful and cheerful voices can bring the sunshine. Our loving deeds can warm the coldness of the winter days ahead. Gathering with family, neighbors and friends can remind us all that we are not alone. There is as much joy in the smiles at the table as the delicious food we consume. Many feel an increased awareness that we are surrounded by those who care, whether it is expressed every day or not. Thanksgiving Day helps many to remember there are others who will stand with us when we call out to them.
REJOICING IN GRATITUDE
So, light the fires, prepare the feast and lift up your voices in a day of praise to God. Tell your loved ones how much you love them. Go on out and be thankful.
Thanksgiving isn’t just a day of the year to get through, it is a day to kick-start the right way to live through a cold, dark winter. Let your thankfulness bring the sunshine. Fill the tables with sunflowers and every time you look at them remember how they constantly turn their heads toward heaven. Perhaps like us, they are giving thanks for both the good times and the bad. The hard times make us stronger; the good times make us joyful. Life itself is something to be thankful for.
May we all take in a good breath of air and thank God to be alive on Thanksgiving Day in America.