Thoughts of Thanksgiving

Thoughts of Thanksgiving

The original Thanksgiving holiday goes back to a celebration of the first year’s harvest between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans.  While it has been celebrated traditionally in the United States in honor of that first harvest celebration, it has become a time of reflection of the year’s events…causing us to pause and consider what we are truly grateful for. 

I imagine that the Pilgrims were grateful for all the assistance they received from the Native Americans that helped to ensure not only their success but also their very survival in their new homeland.

As this year’s Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, I find myself now pausing to reflect on what it means to be truly thankful and what exactly I am thankful for. 

Over the last few years as my family has gathered during this time, one of the traditions that we have adopted and it may very well be true in your home as well, is to go around the room and each say at least one thing that we are grateful for.  In anticipation of this, as I think back over this past year’s events, many memories flash through my mind.  Some pleasant and some not so pleasant.  They are filled with highs and lows of every kind.   In fact, I can hardly believe they are all memories from this past year alone.  As I stroll down memory lane, my mind is invaded by a thought…a scripture, Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” 

As I am reflecting, I am amazed by yet another facet of God’s love for me.  I realize that the sad and not so pleasant moments don’t hurt quite so much.  I find that now there is comfort and peace attached to these memories and not so much pain as was once associated with them.  The blow of them has been softened.  And the happy remembrances bring a smile and sometimes an outburst of laughter.   The blessing comes in knowing that He is with us through it all in whatever capacity we need Him to be.  It’s such a comfort to have this confidence in Him, just as Moses had, when encouraging the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 31:6 which says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you or forsake you.”

He is not only with us but He is also for us according to Romans 8:31. It’s win-win no matter what has transpired in our lives.  Bearing all of this in mind I have decided what I am truly grateful for. 

I am grateful for a God who is big and bad enough to hold the whole world in His hands and loving and personal enough to catch each one of my tears as they fall. 

I am thankful that we can all be His favorite, and that we can all have an intimate relationship with Him as well as the ability to come and worship Him collectively as His bride.

I am grateful that He chose me and that He chose you with our many differences and our varying strengths and weaknesses that collectively make up His heart…as we are made in His image. 

I am so very grateful for His grace and mercy, His chastening as proof of His steadfast love, His joy for mourning and His strength in my weakness.

I’m thankful for His Holy Spirit who makes me more like Him as I yield to Him and who comforts me when I’m sad and steers me toward truth when it’s easier to believe the lie of the enemy.

And finally, I am thankful for abundant life, divine health, and supernatural provision which are promised to me, as a joint heir with Christ, which, like all of His promises, according to 2 Corinthians 1:20 are “yes” and “amen”.

Given more time I could probably come up with a few more because He has just been that good and I am grateful.

What are you thankful for?