Thanksgiving in Christian preaching emphasizes heartfelt gratitude to God for His continual blessings and redeeming love, encouraging believers to express appreciation openly and regularly (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Illustrations often use images of harvest, counting blessings, and contrasts between thankful humans and ungrateful animals to highlight the spiritual richness that comes from recognizing God's gifts (Psalm 107:1).
Gratitude focuses on blessings even amid loss or hardship.
When Matthew Henry was robbed, that very night he prayed: "I thank Thee, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed."
Counting blessings fosters joy and reliance on God instead of self.
"Count it all joy" (James 1:2). Count your blessings instead of your crosses; Count your gains instead of your losses. Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes. Count your smiles instead of your tears; Count your courage instead of your fears. Count your full years instead of your lean; Count your kind deeds instead of your mean. Count your health instead of your wealth; Count on God instead of yourself.
Giving humble thanks for God's gifts and Christ's redeeming love.
"Giving thanks for all things..." (Ephesians 5:20). For all the gifts that Thou dost send, For every kind and loyal friend, For prompt supply of all my need, For all that is good in word or deed, For gift of health along life's way, For strength to work from day to day- I give Thee humble thanks. For ready hands to help and cheer, For listening ears Thy voice to hear, For yielded tongue Thy love to talk, For willing feet, Thy paths to walk, For open eyes Thy Word to read, For loving heart, Thy will to heed- I give Thee humble thanks. For Christ who came from heaven above, For the cross and His redeeming love, For His mighty power to seek and save, For His glorious triumph o'er the grave. For the lovely mansions in the sky, For His blessed coming bye and bye- I give Thee humble thanks.
Some refuse to give thanks, showing spiritual blindness and foolishness.
A godly farmer was asked to dine with a well-known gentleman. While there, he asked a blessing at the table as he was accustomed to do at home. His host said jeeringly, "That is old fashioned; it is not customary nowadays for well-educated people to pray before they eat." The farmer answered that with him it was customary, but that some of those on his farm never prayed over their food. "Ah, then," said the gentleman, "they are sensible and enlightened. Who are they?" "My pigs," the farmer answered.
Expressing gratitude enriches both giver and receiver in Christian witness.
If you are grateful, say so! Thanksgiving is only half said until you have done something to show your thankfulness. A missionary to India was traveling through a city and stopped to speak to a man beside the road. He talked with the man for a time about Jesus. Then, having to travel on, he gave him a few pages of the Bible in the man's language. The Indian read them and was thrilled to learn of Jesus. To show his gratitude, the man measured the footprints left by the missionary, and made a pair of moccasins. He then traveled 200 miles to give them to the missionary as an expression of thanks. The missionary's life was enriched by the gift, but the Indian man was much more enriched because he had expressed his thanks. Have you ever tried to give 200 miles of thanks? Try it-you will be a better person because of it.
True contentment comes from accepting God's will and giving thanks in all circumstances.
One day, Johann Tauler of Strosbourg met a peasant. "God give you a good day, my friend," he greeted him. The peasant answered briskly, "I thank God I never have a bad day." Tauler, astonished, kept silent for a moment. Tauler then added, "God give you a happy life, my friend." The peasant replied composedly, "I thank God I am never unhappy." "Never unhappy!" cried Tauler bewildered, "What do you mean?" "Well," came the reply, "when it is sunshine-I thank God, when it rains-I thank God, when I have plenty-I thank God, when I am hungry-I thank God; and since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases God pleases me, why should I say that I am unhappy when I am not?" Tauler looked upon him with awe. "Who are you," he asked. "I am a king," said the peasant. "A king?" Tauler asked, "Where is your kingdom?" The peasant smiled and whispered softly, "In my heart." Their Money Is Worth Rudyard Kipling at one time was so popular that his writings were getting ten shillings per word. A few college students, however, did not appreciate Kipling's writings; they facetiously sent him a letter and enclosed ten shillings. It read, "Please, send us your best word." They got back a letter from Kipling that said, "Thanks." The Art of Thanksgiving The art of thanksgiving is thanksliving. It is gratitude in action. It is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly. It is thanking God for your talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be invested for the common good. It is thanking God for all that men and women have done for you by doing things for others. It is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy. It is thanking God for beauty by helping to make the world more beautiful. It is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be an inspiration to others. It is thanking God for health and strength by the care and respect you show your body. The Best Thanksgiving Day As we gather 'round our firesides On this new Thanksgiving Day, Time would fail to count the blessings That have followed all our way; Grace sufficient, help and healing, Prayer oft answered at our call; And the best of all our blessings, Christ Himself, our all in all. While we love to "count the blessings," Grateful for the year that's gone, Faith would sweep a wider vision, Hope would gaze yet further on. For the signals all around us Seem with one accord to say, "Christ is coming soon to bring us Earth's last, best Thanksgiving Day!"
We should thank God daily, not just one day a year.
Charles Dickens said that we are somewhat mixed up here in America. He told an audience that instead of having one Thanksgiving Day each year we should have 364. "Use that one day just for complaining and griping," he said. "Use the other 364 days to thank God each day for the many blessings He has showered upon you."
Recognizing God's provision brings joy even in poverty.
A poverty-stricken woman was found on Christmas Day eating a dinner that consisted of a piece of bread and a small fish. A minister who visited her spoke commiseratingly of the poverty of her fare, to which the old woman with face aglow, replied, "Poor fare? Dear heart, don't you see that the Lord has laid tribute on land and sea to feed me this blessed Christmas Day?" This woman owned the earth, though she ate only bread and herring for Christmas dinner.
People often complain in hardship but fail to remember past blessings with gratitude.
The crop once failed, and famine threatened the people. This gave rise to general complaints, both in town and country; so that two men rarely met without manifesting their despondency, and expressing themselves in most unbecoming terms. Gotthold thereupon observed: "I am now sensible of the truth of the proverb, which says, that, if God were to be so complacent as to carry us on his back to Rome, we would not thank him for his pains, if he did not also set us down upon an easy-chair. How comes it to pass, that, in the present dearth, there are so few who thankfully reflect upon the rich and plentiful seasons of which we have had so long a succession? I cannot recollect of having then heard nearly so much praise and thanksgiving for the abundance of the divine blessing, as I now hear complaints on account of its deficiency."
People often receive many mercies from God but remain unthankful and insensitive.
Selfishness of. As the Dead Sea drinks in the River Jordan, and is never the sweeter; and the ocean all other rivers, and is never the fresher: so we are apt to receive daily mercies from God, and still remain insensible of them, unthankful for them. God's mercies to us are like the dew on the fleece. We are like fishermen's weeds, — wide at that end which lets in the fish, but narrow at the other end, so that they cannot get out again; greedy to get mercy, tenacious to hold it. The rain comes down from heaven in showers: it goes up but in mists. We sow in our land one measure, and receive ten; yea, Isaac received a hundred-fold: but God sows ten, it may be, a hundred mercies amongst us, when we scarce return the praise and the fruit of one. Our hearts, in this case, are like the windows of the temple, — "wide inside" to let in mercies, but "narrow outward" to let forth praises. Ep. Reynolds.
Past kindnesses glow in memory like mountain peaks above darkness and trials.
Among the Alps, when the day is done, and twilight and darkness are creeping over fold and hamlet in the valleys below, Mont Rosa and Mont Blanc rise up above the darkness, catching from the retreating sun something of his light, flushed with rose-color, exquisite beyond all words or pencil or paint, glowing like the gate of heaven. And so past favors and kindnesses lift themselves up in the memory of noble natures; and, long after the lower parts of life are darkened by neglect or selfishness or anger, former loves, high up above all clouds, glow with divine radiance, and seem to forbid the advance of night any farther. Beecher.
We should praise God at the first sign of His mercies, not delay our thanksgiving.
We should echo in our thankfulness the first intimation that God gives in his providence of an approaching mercy. If you do but hear when the king is on his road towards your town, you raise your bells to ring him in, and stay not till he be entered the gates. The birds they rise betimes in the morning, and are saluting the rising sun with their sweet notes in the air. Thus should we strike up our harps in praising God at the first appearance of a mercy. Gurnall.
Early settlers chose a day of thanksgiving over fasting to remember God's mercies.
Dr. Franklin says, that, in a time of great despondency among the first settlers of New England, it was proposed in one of their public assemblies to proclaim a fast. An old farmer arose, spoke of their provoking heaven with their complaints, reviewed their mercies, showed that they had much to be thankful for, and moved, that, instead of appointing a day of fasting, they should appoint a day of thanksgiving. This was accordingly done, and the custom has been continued ever since.
Placing stones on a path symbolizes a vow or thanksgiving, like Jacob's pillar.
We ascended on the north-west side, winding round the foot of the rock, and making our way through narrow and intricate paths. I remarked, that our old guide every here and there placed a stone on a conspicuous bit of rock, or two stones one upon the other, at the same time uttering some words, which I learnt were a prayer for our safe return. This explained to me what I had frequently seen before in the East, and particularly on a high road leading to a great town, whence the town is first seen, and where the Eastern traveller sets up his stone accompanied by a devout exclamation, as it were in token of his safe arrival. The action of our guide appears to illustrate the vow which Jacob made when he travelled to Padan-Aran, in token of which he placed a stone, and set it up for a pillar. A stone on the road placed in this position, or one stone upon another, implies that some traveller has there made a vow or a thanksgiving. Morier.
A child teaches the importance of saying thank you after receiving a service.
A little scene of child-life has often seemed to me to contain the most touching lesson for men. A child knows when it receives a service from any one that it should say thank you. But, often, when a child renders us a service, we forget to thank it. After having waited in vain for the little word which should be pronounced, it then itself says, “Thank you,” and goes its way. The child has a feeling that something ought to happen and does not; then he takes charge of it himself.--CHARLES WAGNER, “The Gospel of Life.”
A simple thank you can brighten someone's day and relieve their burdens.
Even “hello girls” are tired sometimes, tho we think of them as part of the electrical apparatus. To-day Central was tired, her head ached, she had just succeeded, after repeated calls, in getting the number wanted by 349-M, and here they were, calling her up again! “Can’t that woman be quiet a minute?” soliloquized Central while she reiterated, “Number, please?” trying not to speak crossly. “Central,” said a pleasant voice, “I want to thank you for taking so much trouble to get me that last number. You are always very kind and obliging, and I do appreciate it.” The surprize was so great, so overwhelming, that Central could only murmur confusedly, “I--oh--yes, ma’am.” Nothing like this had ever happened before. Suddenly her headache was better, suddenly the day was brighter, suddenly, too, there came a lump in her throat, and she reached for her handkerchief. It was so good to be thanked. (Text.)
Thankfulness grows from learning and sharing in human pain and love.
I thank Thee that I learn Not toil to spurn; With all beneath the sun It makes me one; For tears, whereby I gain Kinship with human pain; For Love, my comrade by the dusty ways, I give Thee praise.
— EMILY READ JONES
Thanksgiving is for faithful workers and loving homes, not worldly glory or wealth.
Robert Bridges is the author of these verses:
We give Thee thanks, O Lord! Not for armed legions, marching in their might, Not for the glory of the well-earned fight Where brave men slay their brothers also brave; But for the millions of Thy sons who work-- And do Thy task with joy--and never shirk, And deem the idle man a burdened slave; For these, O Lord, our thanks!
We give Thee thanks, O Lord! Not for the palaces that wealth has grown, Where ease is worshiped--duty dimly known, And Pleasure leads her dance the flowery way; But for the quiet homes where love is queen And life is more than baubles, touched and seen, And old folks bless us, and dear children play; For these, O Lord, our thanks!
Jesus thanked God for the cup of sin and suffering. Ultimate test of thanksgiving. God expects all his creatures to praise him. The psalms are full of praise.
Jesus was thankful for:
1. The common necessities of life.
2. Little children.
3. Answered prayer.
4. Opposition.
5. His death.
Sermon entitled "Thankful In All Things." Community Service at West Lafayette, Ohio, Methodist church.
1. History of Thanksgiving.
2. Thankful for easy things.
3. Thankful for hard things.
4. Thanks often taken for granted.
Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went -- until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was.
The little boy looked away and murmured, “It's yours, teacher.”
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, “Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside.” Or, “Let me show you how to hold your pencil.” Or, “Let's do this together.” Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the hand that reaches out.
Author Unknown
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[Original illustration at this number was deleted for being obsolete]
Sermon for Thanksgiving 1992.
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THE GIVING OF THANKS
====================
I. Thanksgiving in plenty or in want.
II. What God requires for true Thanksgiving.
A. Costly thanks. 2 Sam 24:24
1) Thanksgiving often involves sacrifice. Psalm 116:17
2) Our verbal praise is sacrificial. Heb 13:15
B. Clean thanks.
1) Sacrifices must meet God's conditions. Lev 22:29
2) Have clean hands and a pure, obedient heart. 1 Sam 15:22
3) Reconcilation with fellow Christians.
C. Continuous thanks. Eph 5:20
1) Praise is a way of life.
2) Be a living sacrifice.
III. What our Thanksgiving reveals about us.
A. Thanksgiving is an evidence of faith. Luke 17:11-19
B. Thanksgiving reveals the depth of our fellowship.
IV. How thankful are we?
A. Thanks for hard times, in plague times?
B. We should be thankful for the greatest gift of all - salvation.
Before the miraculous events at the Red sea even took place, God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that they were in the makings of what would become a festival. To a people yet bound in slavery, God commanded them to celebrate forever the things that were about to take place, adding, “Then your children will ask, ‘What does all this mean? What is this ceremony about?’ And you will reply, ‘It is the celebration of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt’” (Exodus 12:26-27a). Today the Jewish Passover continues to be a celebration of remembrance. There is also a tradition within the ritual in keeping with the inquisitive children God described. The youngest child at the table asks aloud, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” The question is then answered in the telling of the events of the Exodus as an explanation of the meal before them: We eat bitter herbs to remind us how bitter our ancestors’ slavery was in Egypt... We recline on pillows because we were once slaves but are now free.(1)
I was trying to imagine what it would look like if we were to borrow this tradition of inquiry for thanksgiving this year. Why is this night different from all other nights? Why is this Thanksgiving different from all other Thanksgivings? How is this meal before us explained by the God who has gone before us?
When we gather wherever we gather this year, what are we remembering? How is this night different from all other nights? In the spirit of inquiry, we might remember again the history that reaches far beyond our own family traditions, when the first Thanksgiving was celebrated among very different neighbors. We might recall the provisions of a creator that make the act of thanksgiving a natural response among creatures. Or perhaps we might discover that, save for the quantity of food, this night is not that much different.
Still for others, the question may turn us necessarily inward. Thanksgiving may be different this year because life is different, because someone is not at the table this year who was last year, or because we come this year facing new illness or pain. In the midst of such events, how do we approach a festival of remembrance? How do we mark the night with thanksgiving when it feels as though we are standing in the dark?
Eighteenth century poet John Donne asked of God a similar question. “How shall they come to thee whom thou hast nailed to their bed?” His writings during the time of the bubonic plague give us an idea of how we might find our way to thanksgiving though we walk in the shadows of death. In the prime of his life, Donne was struck with illness and thought he too had contracted the plague. Though it was not the plague and he eventually recovered, Donne wrestled with all of the emotions of one looking to God through the darkest of nights. While he was nailed to his bed along with scores of others in similar situations across London, he comprised a series of meditations that recorded his thoughts. His words offer a manual for the one struggling to remember God, to recollect God’s acts of mercy, to recall the spirit of thanksgiving that moves us through the dark. These poems speak, notes Philip Yancey, to one of the toughest questions we can face, “In the midst of plague times, how can we give thanks?”(2)
I offer an excerpt of his words as a sounding board for our reflection this Thanksgiving. Whether we are facing dark days at the table this year or looking again at the rich history of the holiday before us, might this night be different from all others in its recollection of thanksgiving as a quality which leads us home.
“O most gracious God, on this sickbed I feel under your
correction, and I taste of humiliation, but let me taste of
consolation, too. Once this scourge has persuaded us that we are
nothing of ourselves, may it also persuade us that you are all
things unto us....
You, O Lord, who have imprinted medicinal virtues in all
creatures, so that even the juices of plants and the venom of
snakes may assist in healing, are able to transform this present
sickness into everlasting health, and to make my very dejection
and faintness of heart a powerful anodyne. When your Son cried
out “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” you reached out
your hand not to heal his sad soul, but to receive his holy soul.
Neither did he desire to hold it from you, but surrendered it to
you.
I see your hand upon me now, O Lord, and I ask not why it comes
or what it intends. Whether you will bid my soul to stay in this
body for some time, or meet you this day in paradise, I ask not.
Curiosity of mind tempts me to know, but my true healing lies in
silent and absolute obedience to your will, even before I know
it. Preserve that obedience, O my God, and that will preserve me
to you; that, when you have catechized me with affliction here, I
may take a greater degree, and serve you in a higher place, in
your kingdom of joy and glory. Amen.”
________
1. The complete liturgy of the Passover service, the Haggadah, can be read at www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1735/jewish/The-Haggadah.htm
2. Philip Yancey, “Thanksgiving in the Midst of Fear,” Christianity Today, 1997. Selection of Donne’s poems revised and excerpted by Philip Yancey.
________
Copyright © 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
[see also Kerux illustration #29116 for one that is very similar]
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[Original illustration at this number was deleted for being obsolete]
Sacrifice of praise article, CT, 11/20/81, pp 40 ff. Dr. Dinwiddie
A. NT word "eucharistein" implies intimacy with the person thanked.
1) Used at last supper.
2) Root meaning is "grace."
3) We must have God's grace in our hearts to properly thank Him.
B. Praise and thanksgiving are evidence of faith.
1) Lone leper who gives thanks. Luke 17:11-19
2) Lack of faith and spirit of ingratitude go together. Rom 1:21
C. Often involve sacrifice.
1) Offering tied with thanks. Ps 116:17
2) Our verbal praise is sacrificial. Heb 13:15
a) Jewish offerings of thanksgiving. Lev 7:11-15
b) Sacrifices must meet God's conditions. Gen 8:21; Lev 22:29
c) He rejects those who do not. Lev 26:31
D. Requirements (Prerequisites) for Thanksgiving.
1) Must have a loving and obedient heart. 1 Sam 15:22; Matt 12:34
2) Reconcilation with fellow Christians.
3) Genuine humility.
4) Rejoicing spirit.
5) Must be sincere.
E. Price of Thanksgiving.
1) Sacrifice must be costly. 2 Sam 24:24
a) According to giver's resources. Lev 4:3; 5:11-13
2) Ways praise can be costly.
a) Cost of preparation.
1> Give our best performance.
2> Edify, don't embarrass worshipers.
3> Cost of time.
4> Cost of disciplining emotion.
b) Cost of perception.
1> Praise is not a spectator sport.
c) Cost of a clean sacrifice.
1> No imperfections.
2> Do simple things well rather than great things poorly.
3> Have clean hands and a pure heart. Ps 24:4
F. Perpetuity of Thanksgiving.
1) Praise is a way of life.
a) Levites had rotating shifts.
b) David offered thanks at night and in the morning.
c) Maintain a daily record of what we are thankful for.
2) Be a living sacrifice.
a) We are the only gift we can give, because all else is
from God. Jam 1:17
b) 17th cent. English poet Richard Crashaw:
"We ourselves become our own best sacrifice."
3) Our willingness to offer genuine sacrifices of praise is an
evidence that we consider the Lord worthy of all our
sacrifice and thanks. Rev 4:9-13
Summary:
A. Sacrifices of praise must be:
1) Costly.
2) Clean.
3) Continual.
B. Praise is:
1) An evidence of faith.
2) A test of obedience.
3) A source of encouragement.
4) An expression of love.
#2367
Other articles on "thanks" in Christianity Today:
"Thankful for Nothing" p. 6, November 17, 1989.
"Thanks in Plague Times" p. 30, November 18, 1988.
"Two Kinds of Thanks" p. 34, January 16, 1987.
"Pilgrim Foundation" November 22, 1985.
"Requirements" (see above) p. 40, November 20, 1981.
"Worship Missing" p. 28, November 21, 1980.
"Not Time for Mourning" p. 236, 1979.
"Price of Praise" p. 282, 1977-1978.
*
Two ways of expressing gratitude to God:
Evelyn Bence was asked by a friend to come visit a shelter for homeless women. While Evelyn did the dishes, she thought what it would be like to sleep in a shelter with strangers. These slept there, but each morning they had to carry their meager possessions with them.
One of the homeless women has a Ph.D. in art history. Gradually her mind had slipped out of her grasp. Esther, who had talked to herself all evening, was the mother of five children.
Evelyn Bence silently prayed to herself, "Lord, thank you. Thank you - that I'm not one of them." Immediately she felt guilty for thinking of it this way. It dawned on her that her own comfortable world, her secure home, was not guaranteed. Instead of thinking, "Thank you I'm not one of them," she now thought up a new prayer --
"Thank you for the grace you have shown to me, and help me to mirror your grace to others."
Be thankful for God's undeserved grace.
Jim Morelli argues that the first Thanksgiving, by the Pilgrims, was unofficial and a one-time event. The first national Thanksgiving was instituted by Congress in 1777 to celebrate the victory of Saratoga. It did not celebrate survival from the elements or from enemies, but celebrated freedom. George Washington began the first national Thanksgiving for broader reasons – thanks to God for “his kind care and protection of the people of this country.”
Sermon in 1 Corinthian series. 16:1-24, Intimacy and Christian friendship.
1. Closeness of families at Thanksgiving.
2. The value of Christian friends.
3. Giving friends their due.
a. Material needs (charity).
b. Emotional needs (honor).
4. Intimacy with Christian friends.
a. Visiting friends.
b. Building intimacy. [7 steps]
5. Making up for distance.
6. Challenge: Be a friend.
a. Do you value Christian friends?
b. Are you a friend to others?
In 1636, amid the darkness of the Thirty Years' War, a German pastor, Martin Rinkart, is said to have buried five thousand of his parishioners in one year, an average of fifteen a day. His parish was ravaged by war, death, and economic disaster. In the heart of that darkness, with the cries of fear outside his window, he sat down and wrote this table grace for his children:
'Now thank we all our God \ With heart and hands and voices;
\Who wonderous things hath done, \ In whom his world rejoices.
\Who, from our mother's arms, \ Hath led us on our way
\With countless gifts of love \ And still is ours today.'
Here was a man who knew thanksgiving comes from love of God, not from outward circumstances.
________
From a sermon at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, by Gary Wilburn
The Masai tribe in West Africa have an unusual way of saying thank you. Translators tell us that when the Masai express thanks, they bow, put their forehead on the ground, and say “My head is in the dirt.”
When members of another African tribe want to express gratitude, they sit for a long time in front of the hut of the person who did the favor and literally say, “I sit on the ground before you.”
These Africans understand well what thanksgiving is and why it’s difficult for us: at its core, thanksgiving is an act of humility.
Sermon in Isaiah series. God's attitude toward ritual. Isaiah 1:10-20
==================
GOD HATES HOLIDAYS
==================
I. "Grinchy" title for a Thanksgiving sermon.
II. Religion alone can't hack it.
A. Israelites went at religion in a big way. 1:11-13
B. In the strongest possible terms, God was fed up. 1:14-15
III. Why did God reject holidays?
A. Did the prophets reject religion, accepting only personal faith?
B. Often it seems as if we have no faith, or religion.
IV. Beyond sentimentalities.
A. Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday, remarkably unsullied.
B. The blessings are ours, we earned them!
V. Preparing yourself for good thanksgiving. 1:17
A. Learn to do right.
B. Seek justice.
C. Encourage and defend the oppressed, fatherless, widows.
VI. Thankful for cleansing.
A. God is reasonable.
B. God can make us clean, though we are dirty. 1:18
C. Positive attitude and obedience are necessary. 1:19
Sermon for Thanksgiving 1994. 1 Chronicles 16:7-12
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REMEMBER THE WONDERS
====================
I. Thanks in a church setting.
A. Israel had special services of thanksgiving, just like us.
B. We are less emotional.
C. God made us to be worshipers, but most of us do not worship well.
II. Are you thankful for the gifts, or to the Giver?
A. Thanksgiving has become:
B. We are not ungrateful, but...
C. David tells us to call upon God.
III. God likes publicity.
A. Testimony - tell of all his wonderful acts. 1 Chr 16:9
B. Witness - proclaim his salvation. 1 Chr 16:23
C. Missions - make known among the nations. 1 Chr 16:8
IV. Remembering the wonders. 1 Chr 16:12
A. Personal blessings - what God has done for us.
B. Past miracles God has done for others.
V. Seeking God. 1 Chr 16:10
A. Not just at conversion, but ALWAYS. (v. 11)
B. A vision of God can keep us going.
#2863
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Sermon in King David series. Costly Thanks. 2 Samuel 24:18-25
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OFFERINGS THAT COST ME NOTHING
==============================
I. Have you been blessed? 1 Cor 4:7-8
II. It can't cost nothing.
A. A fateful decision.
B. "Law of the Harvest" - Actions have consequences. 2 Sam 24:11
C. David's view - people are capricious, but God is merciful. 24:14
D. God doesn't come cheap. 24:24
III. What will you pay for your relationship with God?
A. David valued God more than reputation.
B. He valued God more than his wealth.
C. How much do YOU value God?
IV. What costly gratitude provides.
A. God is honored. 1 Chr 29:10
B. We gain proper perspective on our lives. 1 Chr 29:14-15
C. Others are motivated. 1 Chr 29:9
V. When we think thanks is too costly, consider what God paid.
#3418
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History insert lists chronology of America's Thanksgiving Day, English equivalent of Guy Fawkes Day, and a description of holidays in Puritan America. Issue #23 focuses on a history of Plymouth and the Pilgrims.
Article is a history of Thanksgiving from skeptical eyes. Mark Twain thought it was narrow. It is a holiday built around a story that has aspects of myth and has accumulated features over the years. Abraham Lincoln set the modern date for Thanksgiving after the battle of Gettysburg, and in accordance with New England practices.
The Indian Squanto is part of the myth. In reality he was a broker between cultures who looked out for himself.
Historical archaeologist James Deetz describes the Pilgrims as more medieval than modern, "a culture as different from that of Americans today as many cultures of modern Africa or Latin America." The feast of Thanksgiving is a phenomenon of our time, not theirs, a morality tale dealing with values central to modern American culture - religious freedom, self-reliance, political independence, and racial harmony.
Sermon for Thanksgiving, 1996. Luke 17:11-18
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THANKS FOR NOTHING
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I. Holidays can bring out the worst in people.
A. A time to be stressed out.
B. Ingratitude to God is nothing new.
C. We're not like that.
II. How Jesus showed gratitude.
A. For common necessities of life. John 6:11,23
B. For answered prayer. John 11:41
C. For his death. Matt 26:27
III. The beauty of gratitude.
A. Thanksgiving focuses us beyond our own selfishness.
B. God expects us to praise him.
IV. Best way to give gratitude.
A. Believe in Jesus as your Savior.
B. Live as if Jesus is your Lord.
#3999
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Thanksgiving is syrupy occasion but should have significance as the most unrepentantly old-fashioned of American celebrations, a patriotic heirloom. It represents more than a litany of good tidings and an amalgam of turkey-time truisms. There is a stubborn rectitude to the holiday itself, reminiscent of its stiff-necked Pilgrim forebears. More than any other date on the calendar, Thanksgiving has remained private and personal, devoid of tinsel trappings. Americans are allowed to be as prayerful or as secular as they choose, with no one complaining that they have somehow taken the thanks out of Thanksgiving.
No other holiday brings generations together without the lure of anything more tangible than a good dinner. The merchants, media and politicians haven’t ruined it yet. Thanksgiving stands out as an oasis of tranquillity and a reminder of the values that once tempered America’s materialism. We should give thanks for the one holiday that cannot be bought.
Never underestimate the power of what can happen at the family table.
As an act of kindness, Bo had been invited to spend the traditional dinner at a rich family's home. He had heard about this wealthy family but had never had any reason to make their acquaintance. Although it was to be a thanksgiving meal, Bo wasn't feeling all that thankful. Frankly, he felt awkward about going, and he wondered why he had accepted the invitation. He wouldn't know a soul there. What would they talk about? And what about his special needs? Would they understand? His appearance would no doubt be a source of embarrassment. But he had nothing else to wear.
Bo rehearsed in his head a hundred and one reasons why he should not go, but he knew it was an invitation he had to accept. He alone knew why.
Bo had tasted his share of suffering. Forced to swallow incredible hardships as a child, he learned early on how to be a a survivor. He was just a baby when he suffered a tragic fall that left him permanently disabled ... crippled in both legs. When he was still a child, both his father and grandfather were killed in a conflict in the Middle East. And while his family grieved, they were forced to leave their lavish home and trade it for a ghetto-like lean-to. Because his grandfather had held a place of prominence in the Israeli government, the boy's family became political fugitives. They were resettled in an obscure town, isolated from their wealth and reputation.
It was there Bo learned to crawl and limp. It was here he grew, married, and fathered a son of his own. As he watched his little boy grow and develop normally with straight, sturdy legs, Bo was reminded of his harsh childhood. His history and handicap held Bo hostage in a self-made prison of regrets and bitterness.
And then one unsuspecting day Bo received a letter that changed the course of his life. It was an invitation to a state dinner. He was to be the guest of the Israeli government in Jerusalem. Why him? Why now? What could possibly be the reason? Was it a gesture of peace? Would he eventually be sorry he had accepted the invitation?
Bo continued to ponder the WHYS and HOW COMES of this most unlikely luck of the draw as he was chauffeured to the royal residence of Israel's chief executive.
Entering the palatial dining room, Bo blushed self-consciously. He bowed humbly before his host. Bo dragged his gnarled ankles underneath the ornate cedar table.
“Mephibosheth!” his host called.
Bo became nervous, unaccustomed to being called by his full name. “Don't be afraid,” the voice continued, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father, Jonathan. I will restore all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 2 Sam 9:7
A tear ran down Bo's cheek. His body relaxed. Reaching for the chalice in front of him, he raised it as an offering of thanks. The regrets and bitterness evaporated in the atmosphere of love and acceptance in which he now breathed easily and deeply.
#4214
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Thanksgiving sermon, 1997. (Advent Adventure, pre #2) Psalm 107:1-9
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THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING
============================
I. A special family dinner.
II. The power of the table. 2 Samuel 9:7
A. The one holiday no one has ruined yet.
B. A place to express our thankfulness. Psalm 107:8-9
C. A place where we find our identity.
D. A place where faith can be kindled.
III. Some families don't have a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving.
A. "Home for the Holidays"?
B. We don't have to be a prisoner to memories of the past.
C. Shape how your children will remember their time at home.
IV. We can always come to God's table.
A. Jesus had some of his most powerful moments at dinners.
B. The best is yet to come.
C. You are invited.
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Adapted from Advent 1997 Spiritual Adventure, Pre Advent sermon 2, by
Greg Asimakoupoulos.
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Hand-written thank you notes have a powerful and lasting impact on both the sender and the receiver. Dr. Christian Jarrett, in The Science of Us, talked about a brain-scanning study published in NeuroImage, “which brings us a little closer to understanding why these [gratitude] exercises have these effects. The results suggest that even months after a simple, short gratitude writing task, people’s brains are still wired to feel extra thankful. The implication is that gratitude tasks work, at least in part, because they have a self-perpetuating nature: The more you practice gratitude, the more attuned you are to it and the more you can enjoy its psychological benefits.” These psychological benefits include a feeling of wellbeing and reduced depression.
________
Adapted from "Five Reasons To Write Thank-You Notes," by Nancy Olson, Forbes.com, January 22, 2017;
"Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the
poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it."
-- A. W. Tozer in "Signposts"
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Copyright (c) 1995 Christianity Today, Inc./CHRISTIANITY TODAY Magazine
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Fulton Ousler, a famous author of many years ago, tells the story of his old black nurse, Anna Marie Cecily Sophi Virginia Avalon Thessalonians. She was present when his mother was born; she was there when Fulton Ousler was born. "I remember her," he says, "as she sat at the kitchen table in our house, the hard old brown hands folded across her starched apron, the glistening black eyes lifted to the white-washed ceiling, and the husky old whispering voice saying, `Much obliged, Lord, for my vittles.' `Ann,' I asked, `What's a vittle?' `It's what you got to eat and drink, that's vittles.' `But you'd get your vittles whether you thanked the Lord or not.' `Sure, but it makes everything taste better to be thankful.' After the meal she thanked the Lord again and then said, `You know, it's a funny thing about being thankful ... it's a game an old preacher taught me to play. It's looking for things to be thankful for. Many of them you pass right by ... unless you go looking for them ... Take this morning, I woke up and lay there wondering ... what I got to be thankful for now. And you know what, I couldn't think of anything to thank him for. ... But then from the kitchen comes the most delicious smell that ever tickled my nose--coffee. Much obliged, Lord, for the coffee, and much obliged, too, for the smell of it.'
Years passed and Ousler grew up, left home, and learned some of the hard lessons of life. One day he was called to Anna's bedside. She was dying. Ousler noticed her old hands were twisted with pain. He wondered what she had to be thankful for now. Just then she opened her eyes, looked at all the people around her bedside, closed her eyes again and said with a smile, "Much obliged, Lord, for such fine friends.'
In some parts of Mexico, there are hot springs and cold springs side by side. Great for washing clothes! Women bring them, boil in hot, rinse in cold. Tourist watching said to guide: "I'll bet they're pretty grateful to Mother Nature for these springs." Guide: "No señor, there is much grumbling because she provides no soap!"
Few if any Americans have given as much to charity as John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Ironically, his generosity caused him many headaches and much heartache.
One day, Frederick Gates [in charge of organizing Rockefeller's charity efforts] remarked to Rockefeller that benevolence was its own reward, that the man who looked for gratitude would die embittered. "His only reply, uttered with deliberation and unwonted emphasis, was, 'DON'T I KNOW THAT?'"
New Englanders pride themselves on their Pilgrim heritage and make a big deal out of Thanksgiving. The reality of the first Thanksgiving was not very glowing but we can learn important lessons from it.
1. COMMUNITY. The Pilgrims survived because they hung together. They shared
common values and had a common goal - a prosperous, godly community. Our
generation emphasizes the parts and we feel fragmented as a result.
Remember that we can be part of something bigger.
2. WORK ETHIC. Puritans are noted for this but not all of them had it. As a
matter of fact, many of the Mayflower passengers were upper-class and
expected food to fall from the sky. Gov. Bradford (Sarah's ultra-great
grandpa) instructed them otherwise. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10 Paul says,
"If a man will not work, he shall not eat." Are your kids lazy? Teach
them there's no such thing as a free lunch.
3. GRACE. Since #2 took a while to kick in, the Mayflower Pilgrims just
about starved to death. The generosity of local Indians saved their
hides with donations of food and, more importantly, instructions on
raising local crops. We should be thankful we often get better that we
deserve, and we should make a habit of extending to others more than they
deserve. God is gracious and we should be, too.
4. PERSEVERANCE. Paul says in Romans 5:3, "We also rejoice in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance." Our
ancestors had hard lives, much worse than we face. But even if we don't
encounter starvation we have plenty of troubles to mess up our lives.
Will our spouse leave us? Our company get bought out? Our kids run with
the wrong crowd? Do what you can do and don't give up. We cannot solve
all our problems no matter how hard we try but we can solve some of them.
Keep at it.
[adapted from an article in Discipleship Journal]
DON'T ASK THE BLESSING, OFFER ONE
=================================
In your mind's eye I want you to picture Jesus at the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Hungry multitudes cover the hillside. Jesus takes the little boy's lunch, lifts it up, and says the familiar prayer: "Bless this food to the nourishing and strengthening of our bodies. Amen." I'm here to tell you that it just didn't happen like that. No way!
Since when did we begin to bless our food, anyway? Frankly, our food's been blessed to the point that most of us -- how shall I say this -- are "over-nourished."
You find two words in the New Testament used in connection with praying before meals.
OFFERING PRAISE
Here's what really happened at the Feeding of the Five Thousand. "Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves" (Mark 6:41). The Greek word for "gave thanks" (NIV) or "blessed" (KJV) is "eulogeo," from which we get our English word "eulogy." It means "speak well of, praise, extol." The word commonly translates the Hebrew word, "barak," "to bless." But it wasn't the food Jesus was "speaking well of" or "blessing," it was his Father.
Every faithful Jew would offer this blessing before partaking of bread: "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the world, who has caused bread to come forth out of the earth." Before partaking of wine, the blessing was said this way: "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the world, who has created the fruit of the vine." The first word, "eulogeo," reminds us to eulogize or praise God before we eat.
OFFERING THANKS
The second praying-before-meals word is the Greek word "eucharisteo," from which we get our English word "Eucharist," often used as the name of Holy Communion. "Eucharisteo" means, "be thankful, offer thanks," and was used at the Last Supper.
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks (eulogeo) and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks (eucharisteo) and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you' " (Matthew 26:26-27, NIV).
What Jesus was doing at this Passover meal was offering to his Father the traditional blessings when bread and wine were eaten. It was common for Jews to offer a blessing for each food served during a meal.
THE BLESS ME CLUB
So how did we Christians end up blessing the food instead of God? Tradition? Habit? Some of the confusion may have come from a mistranslation of the passage I just quoted. In the King James Version, Matthew 26:26 reads: "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.'" Notice how the tiny word "it" was added after the word "blessed"? The word "it" isn't part of the Greek text -- that's why it's in italics in the King James Version. But "bless it" implies something far different than "bless God." That addition of one little word may have twisted the way we pray before meals into something Jesus didn't intend at all.
Not that there's anything wrong in asking a blessing from God. There's not. Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" -- but only after praise: "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done...." No, asking favors from God isn't wrong, but it shouldn't be the primary part of our prayers, or we become like greedy little children: "Gimme this! Gimme that!". Those prayers are essentially selfish rather than self-giving. They don't fulfill either the First Commandment, to love God with all our heart, or the Second, to love our neighbor as ourselves.
HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?
The Apostle Paul put it in this perspective. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). Notice the phrase "with thanksgiving" tucked in there with "present your requests to God." It's essential to keep prayer God- centered rather than self-centered. It's also the key to praying with real faith.
So when you pray, remember that your food doesn't deserve a blessing nearly so much as God who gave it. You can bless like Jesus did, "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the world, who has caused bread to come forth out of the earth." Or offer a simple prayer of thanks to God for the food. Next time, don't "ask the blessing," but offer one to your Father.
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Copyright (c) 1999 by Ralph F. Wilson. All rights reserved.
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In his book Living Life on Purpose, Greg Anderson shares the story of one man's journey to joy:
The man's his wife had left him and he was completely depressed. He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in God -- he found no joy in living.
One rainy morning this man went to a small neighborhood restaurant for breakfast. Although several people were at the diner, no one was speaking to anyone else. Our miserable friend hunched over the counter, stirring his coffee with a spoon.
In one of the small booths along the window was a young mother with a little girl. They had just been served their food when the little girl broke the sad silence by almost shouting, "Momma, why don't we say our prayers here?"
The waitress who had just served their breakfast turned around and said, "Sure, honey, we pray here. Will you say the prayer for us?"
And she turned and looked at the rest of the people in the restaurant and said, "Bow your heads." Surprisingly, one by one, the heads went down. The little girl then bowed her head, folded her hands, and said, "God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food. Amen."
That prayer changed the entire atmosphere. People began to talk with one another. The waitress said, "We should do that every morning."
"All of a sudden," said our friend, "my whole frame of mind started to improve. From that little girl's example, I started to thank God for all that I did have and stop majoring in all that I didn't have. I started to choose happiness."
___________________________
Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 4.
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When Helen Hayes cooked her first turkey for Thanksgiving, she called her husband and son together and said, "Now I know this is the first turkey I've ever cooked. It if isn't right, I don't want anybody to say a word. We'll just get up from the table without comment, put on our hats and coats, and go down to the hotel for Thanksgiving dinner." She then went into the kitchen to get the turkey. When she returned to the table, her husband and her son were standing there with their hats, gloves, and coats already on.
Why did the Pilgrims really come to America? Most of us think we know the answer: They came seeking religious freedom. Well, yes they did, in part. But they also came because their teenagers were giving them fits.
This forgotten aspect of Pilgrim lore is a wonderful lesson for us this Thanksgiving -- especially for Christian parents.
The story begins in 1608, a time when the Church of England was the established state church. Christians who objected to aspects of the official church were called Separatists, and they were often thrown into prison for worshipping in their own way.
Determined to worship as they saw fit, a group of these Separatists escaped to Holland in the spring of 1608, including 17-year-old William Bradford, who was to pen a famous journal of their adventures. But after a dozen years of living among the Dutch, these Separatists were becoming desperate: It was proving difficult to make a living in Holland. As Bradford recounts in his journal, many of them found it difficult to endure the "great and continual labors" and were getting old before their time. Fellow Separatists still in England, observing their backbreaking trials, actually preferred prison in England to liberty in Holland.
Most lamentable of all, Bradford writes, many of their children were losing their faith. They were influenced by the "great licentiousness of youth in that countrie," and were being drawn away by evil examples. Some of these kids were even leaving their families and living dissolute lives, Bradford records, "to the great greefe of their parents and dishonor of God."
It seemed clear to the Separatists that they needed to seek religious freedom in a land that not only offered an easier living, but also would not corrupt their children. After much prayer, they began to plan their historic journey to America.
The story of the Pilgrims illustrates the fact that parents have always had to contend with cultural influences tempting their children away from faithful obedience to God. In the seventeenth century, those temptations likely took the form of saloons and prostitutes. Today's kids are surrounded by a culture that celebrates recreational sex, drug use, and total rebellion against God's laws.
Now, we don't have the luxury of packing up our kids and moving to another country -- assuming we could find one free of temptations. Still, we have to do everything we can to keep the corrosive forces of American culture from eating away at the character of our youth. We can do that by limiting their exposure to immoral films, music, video games, and television programs when they're young. And then, when they're older, we need to help them understand the worldview implicit in these products. We must teach them that the culture war is a cosmic struggle between the Christian worldview and the various secular and spiritual worldviews arrayed against it.
This Thanksgiving, when your kids are devouring their pumpkin pie, point out that the Pilgrims did not come to America just to find religious freedom: They already had that in Holland. The Pilgrims embarked on that dangerous journey to an unexplored continent for another important reason, as well.
They came for the sake of their kids.
___________________________
Copyright (c) 1999 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.
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Most of us know the story of the first Thanksgiving - at least, we know the Pilgrim version. But how many of us know the Indian viewpoint?
No, I'm not talking about some revisionist, politically correct version of history. I'm talking about the amazing story of the way God used an Indian named Squanto as a special instrument of His providence.
Historical accounts of Squanto's life vary, but historians believe that around 1608 -- more than a decade before the Pilgrims landed in the New World -- a group of English traders sailed to what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts. When the trusting Wampanoag Indians came out to trade, the traders took them prisoner, transported them to Spain, and sold them into slavery.
It was an unimaginable horror -- but God had an amazing plan for one of the captured Indians -- a boy named Squanto.
Squanto was bought by a well-meaning Spanish monk, who treated him well and taught him the Christian faith. Squanto eventually made his way to England and worked in the stables of a man named John Slaney. Slaney sympathized with Squanto's desire to return home, and he promised to put the Indian on the first vessel bound for America.
It wasn't until 1618 -- ten years after Squanto was first kidnapped -- that a ship was found. Finally, after a decade of exile and heartbreak, Squanto was on his way home.
But when he arrived in Massachusetts, more heartbreak awaited him. An epidemic had wiped out Squanto's entire village.
We can only imagine what must have gone through Squanto's mind. Why had God allowed him to return home, against all odds, only to find his loved ones dead?
A year later, the answer came. A shipload of English families arrived and settled on the very land once occupied by Squanto's people. Squanto went to meet them, greeting the startled Pilgrims in English.
According to the diary of Pilgrim Governor William Bradford, Squanto "became a special instrument sent of God for [our] good ... He showed [us] how to plant [our] corn, where to take fish and to procure other commodities." He "was also [our] pilot to bring [us] to unknown places for [our] profit, and never left [us] till he died."
When Squanto lay dying of a fever, Bradford wrote that their Indian friend "desir[ed] the Governor to pray for him, that he might go to the Englishmen's God in heaven." Squanto bequeathed his possessions to the Pilgrims "as remembrances of his love."
Who but God could so miraculously weave together the lives of a lonely Indian and a struggling band of Englishmen? It's hard not to make comparisons with the biblical story of Joseph, who was also sold into slavery -- and whom God likewise used as a special instrument for good.
Squanto's life story is remarkable, and we ought to make sure our children learn about it. Sadly, most books about Squanto omit his Christian faith. I'm delighted to say my former associate Eric Metaxas has just written a children's book called "Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving." I highly recommend it.
It will teach your kids about the "special instrument sent of God"-who changed the course of American history.
___________________________
Copyright (c) 1999 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.
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That Sunday morning I stared into our nearly empty refrigerator trying to imagine how I'd stretch our food to last us the rest of the week. My two kids and I had just moved from a shelter for abused women into a small, low-rent apartment. I wasn't sure where lunch would come from, let alone Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. I was tired of praying for miracles, tired of worrying about how we would get by.
“We'd better get going to church,” I told the kids.
“Wait!” cried my four-year-old son, P.J., climbing onto the counter to open a kitchen cabinet while three-year-old Amanda reached into the refrigerator. “Don't you remember, Mommy? We're supposed to bring something for the poor.”
Yes, that's what the pastor at our new church had said. How could I tell my son we were the poor? “We don't have anything to bring.” I said, closing the refrigerator door just as Amanda extracted a single droopy carrot. P.J. held up a dusty can of peas he'd found. “Sure we do!” he said.
It's bad enough my children have to go to a new church dressed in old clothes, I thought. Now I'm letting them bring rotten food to the altar.
By the time we got to church and grabbed a pew in back, the altar was overflowing with offerings – turkeys, pies and loaves of bread. I knew that a fraction of that bounty could feed my family for a month. I whispered a familiar prayer: “Lord, help us get on our feet again.”
P.J. and Amanda picked up their offerings.
They walked toward the altar, P.J. in his little suit that was too short in the sleeves, Amanda holding her carrot in front of her like a candle. All heads tamed to watch. The pastor pointed to where they could leave their gifts. A murmur ran through the crowd and people smiled.
I felt a rush of pride. P.J. and Amanda had found something to give while I saw only empty shelves. As it turned out those shelves weren't empty for long. Members of our church showed up on our doorstep with more than enough for a Thanksgiving feast. Looking at the bounty, I thought of others I knew who could use a little extra. “Come on,” I said to my kids, “let's see if we can share some Thanksgiving.”
__________
Tina Fenech, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Source: Guideposts, Copyright (c) November 2000, http://www.guideposts.org
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[Illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #9192]
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