November 21, 2014
Giving Thanks
This week I attended a
meeting where the topic of discussion for one segment of the agenda was to
share a memorable Thanksgiving experience. The impromptu exercise garnered four
volunteers, but one man who normally enjoys such opportunities sat silent. When
the meeting was over I ask my friend why he didn’t contribute. Looking a little
sheepish he said, “I didn’t have anything to say. Anything I said would have
been boring.” He paused, “The truth is I have nothing memorable because we don’t
celebrate Thanksgiving.” Say what — what’s
not to like about Thanksgiving? I’ve heard reasons why people choose not to
celebrate Christmas, Halloween and Veteran’s Day, but eliminating Thanksgiving is
a new one. The writer of Hebrews reminds us why we are to be thankful, “Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and
so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our
“God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:28-29 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I’m hoping the writer of Hebrews did not give that list as being complete. Certainly, receiving an unshakeable kingdom is far more than enough to cause thankfulness every moment for the rest of this cobbled up life, since every moment we are stepping further into righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Paul, whom I highly suspect as being Hebrew’s author, thinks everything is on that list of what should cause thankfulness, even all of the stuff causing, being, and resulting from the storms and turbulence of life.
-----I like to try seeing the best in what folks have to offer. Noting your astonishment upon learning your friend does not do Thanksgiving, I wonder if there might be the slightest possibility that, rather than not doing it from a lack of regard for giving thanks, maybe he is so thankful for everything always that the ritual of Thanksgiving Day belittles the thanksgiving of his heart. Maybe that’s what he meant by not wanting to bore with his answer, so trivial are all the things he might particularly note of his conscious, overflowing thanksgiving.
-----Probably no. But certainly should be almost. It doesn’t matter how normal any attitude might be, if there is any inclination to serve up a big ol’ turkey feast over it, then, by all means don’t miss that opportunity! The day is kind of like raising a banner of godly attitude towards the nation and people we’ve been so blessed to be a part of, though the seeming public clamor for more foolishness, debauchery, licentiousness, and deceit to enter into its affairs, social institutions, and even governmental seats has reached shocking levels and evidently, concerted strength. Still, when you look with Biblically effected eyes at life even amongst such senseless clamor you see the wonders of His work and what He is and the place under his wing He makes there for us; all thanksgiving is in order. For like I hope your friend meant, there is not a thing around us too trivial for thanksgiving, not an injury to us too damaging for thanksgiving, nor a crowd of fools surrounding us too overwhelmingly for giving thanks to God for the intensely intimate attention He pays to tying every detail of our being into His good.
-----”Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.” Give me more than forty breathes for stating any circumstance and inevitably I will cross paths again with this idea. “I AM THAT I AM” He told Moses about Himself. Then, in Moses’ presence, He showed Pharaoh that He was the Almighty. Nothing is that He has not agreed for it to be. I think of that as every event, circumstance, and minutest detail of life arriving to us, each in its own crate, personally stamped by Him “OK! Let’s Roll!” This doesn’t mean He wants bad things to happen to us when bad things do happen. It only means anything that happens is merely a component of the good that He is building for us, and if we feel hurt by it, we just haven’t come to the part that makes us feel bliss. But giving thanks for bad things coming now makes us feel the bliss we‘ll have later. So, hats off to Paul, and I hope to your friend who may have meant with him that there is nothing too mundane, trivial, mean, or vile for thanksgiving.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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