Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving in the US, so I will postpone discussion about inflation and the economy. I beg your pardon from any readers in Canada or other locales.

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks to God for a bountiful harvest, even though most of us are not farmers anymore. As with most holidays, commercialization has taken over and now Thanksgiving is widely known as the kickoff for the Christmas shopping season. Friday morning, as early as 4am this year, stores are setting out their scores of deals to get people in to spend, spend, spend. This Friday, also known as Black Friday, are when stores typically get into the black, or positive territory for the first time of the year. Think about that. Nearly 11 full months of working 6 or 7 days a week to cover expenses, before you finally get to earn a profit for the store you are running. How would you like to own a store with that kind of profit potential?

So, this is the one last day to prepare for the busy shopping season. One last day to take a break, spend time with family, eat too much, be lazy in front of the TV watching football, or another favorite holiday tradition.

Do we really ever pause to think about all the gifts we've received? Are we really thankful for the family around us? There are many people out there that don't have a family. There's no turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie. There's no getting up the next morning while it's still dark out because they don't have a car, no money to buy gifts, and no friends to share the time with. Maybe, if it is close enough, there might be a special meal at the community center for the homeless that they can attend.

Do we ever think about the abundance we all have around us compared to some? What do we do with all the gifts we have? Do we value them, be thankful for them? Do we treat our blessings with respect and care? Do we share them with others?

So, what are you thankful for?

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. II Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)