Ah, the smell of turkey, dressing, pecan pie, sweet potatoes, gravy and all sorts of other side dishes filling the air… Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, football, time with family and friends, football, eating until we can’t possibly eat any more, football, black Friday shopping, football, leftovers for days, and more football. That must be what Thanksgiving Day is all about!
Not so fast… America as a whole has forgotten what the word Thanksgiving itself means. To give thanks. To be grateful. To show gratitude. But this day was set aside for even more than that.
In America, a day of thanksgiving was commonly observed to give thanks to God. Yes, there was a lot of food. There wasn’t always football. Friends and family often gathered together. Their main purpose, however, was to give thanks to God. Yes, to God.
You see, without God, none of us would even be here today. He is the Creator. Without God, I wouldn’t be able to provide for my family. He gave me the abilities and talents that I have to be able to perform my job’s duties. Without God, I wouldn’t have the promise of eternal life. Without God, I wouldn’t have a nice place to live. Without God, I wouldn’t have been raised in a good family. Without Him, I would be nothing. Yes, I am truly blessed, all because God saw fit to bless my life.
Our forefathers knew this. They depended on God. Today, we call on Him either when we need something from Him or when it’s convenient. Personally, I’m reminded more and more that I’m totally dependent on God. Nothing I have, or nothing I can do has anything to do with what I could take care of on my own. God provided and allowed it all.
So today, and always, I want to be thankful to God. I want to show Him my gratitude and, consequently, live a life for Him. It’s the least that I can do in return for all He has done for me.