Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. - Psalms 100:1-2, 5
This Thanksgiving most of us will sit down to a holiday dinner that boasts a turkey. Roasted, deep-fried, smoked, or grilled to perfection, 88% of Americans will feast on this tradition. And let’s not forget the side dishes—not quite as universal—often including stuffing, potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. We count on this meal, plan for it, and anticipate it as an integral part of our annual celebration. And somewhere in our average 4,500 calorie intake for the day we hopefully remember to be thankful.
Thankfulness should not be a Thanksgiving afterthought. What if we allowed this year to become our springboard of gratitude, launching us into a new, ongoing way of viewing our world—a fresh way of seeing the good things in our lives? What if our Thanksgiving meal prep becomes our training ground for counting our blessings? With every potato I peel, I think of specific gifts God has given me. With every plate I set on my table, I thank God for my loved ones. With every napkin I fold I think of times I’ve folded my hands in need of God’s help and how He met me in those places.
Turkey or not, Thanksgiving is really about acknowledging God’s abundant blessings. Gratitude should become a consistent habit for each of us. Cultivating a grateful perspective helps us realize how God is working in our lives. It strengthens our faith, fills us with joy and anchors us in God’s faithfulness.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
My prayer for each one of us is that we reboot our default perspective to broadly see the gifts we’re each being given so that we begin to realize the tremendous abundance in our lives and are strengthened with joy in our devotion to our loving God!