Thanks a Million, Lord

It also involves giving thanks in all things. To thank God for the good, bad, and downright ugly is a sign of mature faith. To thank God even for the small things is a major sign of gratitude. It is also a show of trust and an acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty and total control. And, it acknowledges that God is the giver of all things, our wonderful provider.

Thanksgiving as a lifestyle also includes foregoing meaningless and chronic complaining to accept that “all things work together for the good…” Murmuring and complaining bugs God because it is a definite way of telling Him we are unappreciative of the great and small things He does. (I’m still trying to work on that one.)

A few Thanksgiving Days ago, I recall that my family was behaving any way but thankful. A relative, the host, complained about everything from the food to the tardiness of guests to the weather. Some of my relatives dismissed the work that went into the dinner and headed straight for the food without so much as paying a compliment. And to add to the stress of the day, no one offered to help in the post-dinner cleaning, except me, and even I did it out of conviction.

Bowing our heads for all of two-point-five seconds for the blessing of the meal was an afterthought and certainly not enough thanks to God for our lives, our fellowship, our host, and our meal. I honestly don’t remember if Jesus’ name was even mentioned. We were thankless to say the very least.

I vowed that I wouldn’t spend another holiday under those conditions. I vowed that I would rather eat a hamburger from a fast food restaurant, alone, than be subjected to the chaos, not to mention the duress. And I vowed that one day of thanksgiving just didn’t cut it.

Bunny was right. Thanksgiving is a lifestyle and either you live it or you don’t. One day and one group prayer over a meal was not enough. I needed to live my praise and worship of God all year long.

Most of all, while I appreciate the occasional power surge of praise and worship; I know that I cannot wait for those moments to happen. Sometimes, especially when I don’t feel like it, I have to offer up a sacrifice of praise to my God, and I have to muster up a little thanksgiving. Trust me, I am not doing God any favors by doing so, that I know for sure. However, I also know that practice makes perfect and it is my desire to become more grateful and thankful in the model of my Savior.