A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me.Psalm 50:23
"You know, Mom," my nine year old piped up from the back seat, "The stores had so many decorations up for Halloween, and as soon as it was over, they took them down and put up Christmas decorations. What happened to Thanksgiving?"
We had just passed a house with lit-up icicle lights tactfully placed along the perimeter of the roof, windows, and doorframes. I had commented that the owner probably desired to beat the cold of winter. My observation obviously triggered a thought in my son's mind. His insight prompted a lively discussion in our van.
My youngest child had made a good point. There is much commercialism found in the holidays – Christmas and toys, Halloween and costumes, Easter and dresses, but no emphasis on Thanksgiving. Could it be because you cannot place a price tag on gratitude?
The next day in our family devotions the Lord graciously confirmed my conclusions. As part of our Thanksgiving Holiday preparations, we, as a family, are listening to the audio presentation of "Thanksgiving – A Time to Remember" by Barbara Rainey. It is a wonderful depiction, synopsis, and insight into the Pilgrims' journey to, and in, the New World. What makes this book unique is the continued Revelation of God's Hand of Providence throughout Pilgrim history. A wonderful blessing to me was her insight of a heart of thanksgiving as being a "sacrifice".
"Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving."Psalm 107:22
Barbara states, "Why is it a sacrifice to give thanks to the Lord? Because being thankful forces us to take our eyes off ourselves and put them on the Lord. Giving up our self-focus is the kind of denial that pleases God." (p. 45)
This is why the stores cannot commercialize Thanksgiving. Rather than capitalizing on a lust for things, as with toys and holiday garment, it is to be a time of self-denial, and an occasion to reflect on God's blessings.
Mrs. Rainey's thoughts are further expressed: "Being grateful is a choice . . . Gratitude is what we express when we take time every Thanksgiving Day to remember God's past mercies and provisions, and then pause to thank Him for them." (p. 45)
In all my historical reading I have not found a colony blessed more bountifully than the Pilgrims'. Their purpose in coming to America was not for profit or personal gain, but solely for freedom of worship. En route aboard the Mayflower they continually sang hymns and prayed, even in the midst of danger, hunger, and fear. And upon their first step onto New World soil, they knelt, prayed, and thanked God for his protection and provision. Together they recited the 100th Psalm.
Could their attitude of thanksgiving have been what warranted God's blessings? Believing in God's Providential Hand was a foundation of their faith. And no store or attempt at commercialism can ever capitalize on that!
Prayer: Help me, Lord, I pray, to daily die to self, so that I can teach an attitude of gratitude to my children. Help us as a family, not to be so self-absorbed in personal pursuits that we lose sight of thankfulness for Your blessings!
