You are my God and I give thanks to You. Psalm 118:28
I started a Thanksgiving tradition with my family in 1997. I bought a book where every year I would record the day in detail and each family member would take a turn and write in the book what they were thankful for. There’s a place for a family photo and recipes and also a few lines to jot down the general atmosphere of the day. In my house that would be lots of laughing, teasing, eating and more eating. As I bring the book to the table every year, my adult children love to harass me about this tradition and say, “oh mom, really?”
As you can imagine I just let them poke fun but I make sure that every family member writes something even if it’s just a line or two. No novels required! I know that one day when I’m home with the Lord they will pick up this book and remember Thanksgiving at mom’s with memories to re-live and re-tell with their families. I hope that this Thanksgiving journal will stir laughter, sweet reflections and a renewed sense of gratitude to our God.
At the heart of this tradition is my desire to take time out and remember what really matters. We know we’re to be thankful but making it intentional and specific is another thing. So often our gratitude can be general and vague. We acknowledge our blessings and then we’re back in the saddle of life as we know it. It’s often like the child who opens one birthday present after another and can’t appreciate the true blessings of his or her little life. God loves to bless us and His gifts are the expression of His heart toward us as our heavenly Father, but I know there is a gratitude for something deeper still.
As I meditate on the Psalms I’m overwhelmed with the verses of thanksgiving. Yes, they express thanks for the seasons and the bounty of springtime and harvest, but more importantly there is a deep sense of gratitude for God Himself! The attributes of God saturate the Psalms and oh how they open my eyes and reveal to me the true sense of God’s goodness. Chapters and verses ring out with a declaration of the Lord’s tender mercies, His faithfulness, His victories and so much more. One of my favorites is Ps.103 in which I’m reminded that the Lord has pardoned my iniquities, healed my diseases, redeemed my life from the pit and crowned me with lovingkindness and compassion. That in itself is and ocean of praise!
When I was a little girl we prayed this prayer at every meal. “Bless us O Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.” As I’ve grown older I’ve realized that this prayer holds the true reality of what thanksgiving means to me. Every ounce of the goodness and grace and blessings of God toward me are only and because of Jesus. Without whom I could not know such rich and eternal gifts.
The bounty of the blessings I have received, I have received because of Him… through Christ my Lord. Amen!
Happy Thanksgiving!