Yep it’s that day. The day of giving thanks. Yet for some reason, I seem to be an expert at finding things to complain about. Like the fact that the turkey came out of the oven dressed in a tuxedo. Or because my stomach is growling while waiting for all the food to be ready. Or as often happens, I forget being hungry because I’m so full I can’t hardly move!
Can you relate? We’re are so used to complaining, that even on a day that is supposed to be full of thanks we easily slip into a grumpy attitude again. If we had practiced being thankful before today, then it could be a day of celebration, overflowing with gratefulness. But so often, thanksgiving is the day we remember all the days we have fallen short of being completely content.
Being thankful is hard work. Gratefulness does not come easily to our human sinful nature. The only way we can break our grumpy pattern is through God’s help. It’s a fruit of the spirit.
No you can’t be thankful. But you can be thankful in all things through the power of Christ, who strengthens you. It’s not about getting your act together before you can come to the table. You have been forgiven.
Since you have been forgiven, you can get up every day with a clean slate. No matter how much we mess up, no matter how ungrateful we were yesterday, today we have a chance to walk in the grace of God and be filled with gratefulness.
Walking in grace is hard work. But it is freeing.
This year, let us use this day as a catalyst to walk into the next year with thankful hearts, and healthy minds. Then come next year, we will be able to look back and thank God for the work He has done through us, how He has taught us to be thankful.
Thanksgiving can be a celebration! Not of how good we are, but of how awesome God’s grace is.
Happy Thanksgiving!