A day of Thanksgiving

Have you ever felt guilty for being frustrated by things which, compared to what others are going through, are more of an annoyance than anything else? I’ve been feeling that way since I was involved in a car accident on November 1 which rendered my car undriveable. After two weeks, it was finally determined that it will be fixed rather than totaled, but that means more time without a car. I just want this resolved as quickly as possible. But I have no reason to complain when I think about what all on our prayer list are going through, or those whose lives were so dramatically upended by the recent hurricanes, or those in other parts of the world enduring the ravages of war, persecution, etc. Someone always has it worse… way  worse. Yet it is easy to focus on what’s making one’s personal life difficult. 

Which is why having a day set aside specifically for thanksgiving can serve as a great way to shift one’s perspective from self to God and others. The Psalmist reminds us, “The eyes of all look to You in hope; You give them their food as they need it. When You open Your hand, You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in everything He does; He is filled with kindness.” (Psalm 145:15-17, NLT) And Jesus reminds us, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ … Your heavenly Father knows that you need [these things]. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31–33, NIV) And what does life in the Kingdom involve? We follow King Jesus’s example of loving one’s neighbor, praying for them and caring for them in their need as we are able. In effect, our thanksgiving for God’s loving care for us becomes “Thanks living” in loving service to others.