Grateful hearts

No matter what happens, always be thankful for this is God’s will to you who belong to Christ Jesus.                            I Thessalonians 5:18 

Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.          Winnie the Pooh

Thanksgiving week is here, and it’s once again time to gather our family and friends around the table to celebrate and give thanks to God for all His blessings to us this past year.  As in 1620 when the Pilgrims gathered with grateful hearts and shared their meal with the Wampanoag Native Americans, we, all these hundreds of years later, gather to do the same.

There are so many blessings that I could list from the past year, but I’ll just say that I am filled with gratitude and that gratitude brings so much joy to my life.  There are big blessings, little blessings and important blessings, but sometimes blessings become so omnipresent that they can escape our notice on a daily basis.  Things like fingers that move, eyes that see, ears that sorta hear, seasons, air, water, friends, family, laughter, health,and so many other things can go unnoticed on a daily basis.

The major difference between the Thanksgiving of today and that in 1620 is that the Pilgrims held God as the center of their thankfulness. Their gratitude filled them with so much joy that their celebration was a reflection of both.  In today’s America we have lost much of that respect, joy and gratitude.  Frances Schaeffer says that “the beginning of man’s rebellion against God was and is the lack of a thankful heart”.  In this world of turmoil, uncertainty, hate, war, and a general lack of respect for God, His word, and His world, Thanksgiving provides a respite from the ordinary day to day and forces us to take a good look at our blessings.  God doesn’t bless us to provide for our own needs, but rather so we can be a blessing to others.

Giving thanks and having a grateful heart shouldn’t be limited to one day a year, but rather, giving thanks should be an ongoing action.

As we celebrate together, be sure to take time to thank God for all His blessings and celebrate the joy that a grateful heart can bring!

Happy Thanksgiving!