Psalm 100: 4-5 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.
We are less than a week away from Thanksgiving and into the homestretch of the year. I have heard several people say it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving yet, but to me it does. Several years ago, a bunch of us started on November 1 to posting, first on my other blog, and then on facebook, something each day we are thankful for. Though I try never to take what has been given to me for granted, it does make me really realize all the things I have, and seriously puts me in my place when I want to think about feeling sorry for myself.
I didn't do my thankful days last year because someone criticized it the year before. I regret that because I know my heart, and I knew where I was coming from but I let hurtful words, and someone judging me stand in the way of being a little daily testimony for our Lord and Savior. What is funny was the person who criticized it was a preacher. This year, another preacher friend on facebook (who I think WAY more of than the preacher who made fun of me) said it reminded him of when we used to get in a big circle at church and hold hands and go around the room and tell something to be thankful for, for all of our blessings. Even when we don't think we are being blessed, when someone else points something out, sometimes it is easier to say, "Oh, yeah, I forgot that!".
Now for those who are still naysayers, please know, I am one of those who were taught that when you pray, the first thing you should do is thank Him for what He has already done, number one being our salvation. I listen to The Message on XM radio, there used to be a blurb (and I know I have mentioned this here before) that said, "What if you woke up today with only the things in your life that you said thank you for yesterday". It makes you think.....
So, this coming week is Thanksgiving, and though my day will be low key, I am looking forward to spending time with my little family. My guys have started working feverishly on Robert's house again, and it sounds like huge progress is being made. They are working on getting the bathroom together and Robert is talking about maybe staying there some once he has it done. I am excited for him, it has been a long time coming. They are going to work on it that day, then we are meeting at my mom's for lunch. It's not a huge thing, but it is mine.
I have to think back to some other Thanksgivings; when I was younger, we went to my Aunt Mayme's many times. I remember going to my Aunt Doe's as well. I remember one particular year, there was some kind of special on tv the night before and I was in the back part of the house. Steve Martin was singing King Tut and I went running in to see it, slipping on the rug in my doorway and planting my face into the door frame of the bathroom. I had a huge busted lip for Thanksgiving that year. Two years later, Thanksgiving fell a week to the day after my dad died, and it snowed. My mom, sister and I were going to my aunt's again that day, but that morning, our next door neighbor boys came down with the snowmobiles, and we went snowmobiling for a little while. For a few minutes that day, life was normal. The very next year, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Springfield, at St. John's with my mom, who we were very thankful was alive. We had been told several times over the previous 30 days that things could change in a hurry, and there were a lots of ups and downs as they did. 10 years after that, I spent my first thanksgiving with Andrew. His birthday fell on Thanksgiving, and he took me to Chillicothe, MO to meet his parents. We already knew then we were going to get married. We hadn't figured out yet that it was going to be just 9 days later. We had two Thanksgivings in Pennsylvania, that because Andrew worked for Walmart and Black Friday was the next morning, there was no way to come home so they were cozy little affairs of Andrew, me and our baby. Robert's freshman year, we had Thanksgiving in Florida, with the band, again, what a wonderful memory. I also have memories of spending a couple of Thanksgivings at my sister's.
Needless to say, it is one of my favorite holidays. And gives me even more to be thankful for.
So, if you aren't in the "Thanksgiving spirit" yet this year, takes some time this morning to really look around you and see what all God has done for you, starting with the fact that, if you are saved, your worst day here is just a day, you have an eternity of good days waiting for you. If you are not saved, please know, God sent Christ to die on that cross, and rise again, for YOU. It doesn't matter what you have done, God made you, and He loves you. I have been reading Max Lucado's In The Grip of Grace, and it so reminds me that there is nothing you can do that keeps you from God's love, except not excepting it. Let Him do the housekeeping, just come to Him.
I'm leaving you with an old, old hymn, but very appropriate for the day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Comments
Post a Comment