What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
Normally, we host a festive dinner attended by my family and in-laws. Personally, I love the hustle and bustle of having people over. The planning, shopping, cooking, decorating, and the noise of fellowship fill my heart. Gathering together brings me such joy that even cleaning up after the company is delightful.
Following suit for most of 2020, this year’s plans are going to be different.
Neither Jason’s family nor mine will be joining us. To add to the absences, even my husband will be missing as he will be working at the hospital. That leaves one adult (me) and six children. And while I really, really want to make a traditional Thanksgiving feast, I realize that out of everything I will make, my children (basically) only eat the rolls.
So, here I am, a couple of days before Thanksgiving, struggling with the idea of an isolated holiday. Many of my friends are still gathering with family or at least will have their husbands home to celebrate. I’m doing my best to keep jealously and comparisons at bay while fighting the temptation to throw myself a pity party.
In many ways, it feels like Thanksgiving is canceled.
It was in the midst of my inner turmoil that the Lord whispered,
Thanksgiving might be canceled this year, but giving thanks is not.
And that’s when I remembered the truth that Thanksgiving is a man-made holiday, but giving thanks is a Biblical commandment.
- “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
- “I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.” Psalm 107:1
- “To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:23
- “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Ephesians 5:20
- “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was…” Revelation 11:17
As I was reading the Bible, Psalm 116:17 jumped out at me,
I will offer you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord.
Have you ever thought about thanksgiving being a sacrifice?
Offering God a “sacrifice of Thanksgiving” means that giving thanks, at some point, will be painful. My definition of sacrifice is, “voluntarily surrendering, or putting to death, something for the benefit of something greater.”
When we offer God a thanksgiving sacrifice, we are surrendering our complaints, desires, fears, and temporary perspectives. We are putting to death the way we think things should be to praise God in spite of the way they are.
He is worthy of our praise!
No matter what is going on in our lives, through Jesus we have salvation. Regardless of what else is our reality, that one truth is enough to sing His praises forever. My pity party turns into a victory party when I invite the Lord to join me. He makes everything, even years like 2020, beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
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