Irregular Thanksgivings

Do you remember the famous Norman Rockwell painting of Thanksgiving that originally graced the cover of the Post magazine many years ago? In this famous painting a family is sitting around a table loaded with food and an older lady, probably the grandmother, is holding the turkey for all to see. As nostalgic and iconic as the picture may be, I don’t think this is what most people experience on Thanksgiving. What about you?

This fact was driven home to me during the table topic portion at my Toastmaster’s group this week. The lady leading the table topic asked, “Have you ever had an irregular Thanksgiving?” As it turned out, it seemed like everyone had had some kind of unusual event. The descriptions of these gatherings ranged from turkeys falling into a soapy sink, turkeys flying across the room and landing in a guest’s lap, being served a Chinese dinner instead of turkey and trimmings, and a lady showing up unannounced at an ex-spouse's house for Thanksgiving dinner.

This last one was interesting because the ex-husband had shown up at the ex-wife's house uninvited over the years, with his current girlfriend-of-the-month in tow. Then one year the ex-wife told the family (which included his children, their spouses, and the grandchildren), "We are going to Dad’s house this year." Sure enough, they all showed up, unannounced on the doorstep of his house, which he shared with his current girlfriend. The ex-wife said it was her best Thanksgiving ever because this time she surprised the ex-husband, and she did exactly what the ex-husband always did; she went into the living room and plopped down in a chair and allowed him to serve her.

Have you ever experienced an irregular Thanksgiving? I don’t think any of us truly have had the Thanksgiving that Norman Rockwell portrayed in his famous Post cover. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think more of us have experienced at least a few of the irregular kind. From my own experience, we know the meal is ready with the smoke alarm goes off. The details are very sensitive…but that’s the story and we are sticking to it. It seems the irregularities are what people remember most, and perhaps they at least make the day more memorable.

The examples I’ve given are amusing ones, but there are some for whom, disappointment is on the menu every time their family gets together. Could it be because we feel we are under pressure to live up to the Norman Rockwell ideal? That perfect Thanksgiving is what other people have, not us. But not so fast! Could it be that a change in attitude and a few altered expectations might turn around the outcome?

This Thanksgiving can be different if we adjust our expectations and realize that the purpose of the holiday is the opportunity to spend time together, to be with family and friends that you might not have a chance to see often. Find the joy in being together with whatever group you find yourself with this year. Yes, there may be mishaps. There may even be real problems! The food might not taste exactly as you remember it or not be to your personal liking. But instead of focusing on these inconveniences, consider what Thanksgiving is really about! Think of all that you have to be thankful for this year. I’m certain there are more things than you imagine. Start by making a list. Here are a few things to consider!
• You're alive
• You have a group to spend Thanksgiving with, even if it’s a only a pair of family members, a few or friends, or you're serving dinner at a homeless shelter!
• ________________________

What can you add to your list? What will you be thankful for this "irregular" Thanksgiving?

Gratitude is a Choice

Albert Barnes said, “We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning.”

The poem that follows, entitled, Blessed is the Man Who is Driven to His Knees in Prayer, by E. M. Bounds (from "The Complete Works of E M Bounds on Prayer" pages 104-107) states it well.
Trials must and will befall,
But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all –
This is happiness to me.

Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to prayer;
Bring me to my savior’s feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.

Blessing in disguise!

O who could bear life’s stormy doom,
Did not the wing of love
Come brightly wafting through the gloom,
Our peace branch from above?

Then sorrow touched by Thee grows bright,
With more than rapture’s ray,
As darkness shows us a world of light
We never saw by day.

Unburdening the heart in grief?

O Thou who driest the mourner’s tear,
How dark this world would be
If, when deceived and wounded here,
We could not fly to Thee.

The friends who in our sunshine live,
When winter comes are flown;
And he who has but tears to give
Must weep those tears alone.

But Thou wilt heal the broken heart
Where live the plants that throw
Their fragrance from the wounded part,
Breathe sweetness out of woe.

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. ~Psalms 91:14-15

I’m sure you are familiar with the axiom, “Attitude of Gratitude.” It’s an excellent way to express the notion that we need to live every day in a specific manner. Gratitude is a choice. With it as the main ingredient in your life, you will be blessed and will be a blessing to others. Remember, blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s the small, seemingly insignificant things which, seen in perspective, may come to mean the most to you. Every need, even the smallest unspoken one, is important to God. Ask the Lord to show you a sign of His good for you today. Start by purposefully looking for examples of His nearness and care for you in your daily life. Once you begin this practice of seeking, you’ll be amazed at how often you sense His loving presence and detect tokens of His constant care for you!
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Harvest Blessings

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor – and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God . . . .”

President George Washington issued this presidential proclamation in 1789 for the purpose of acknowledging thanks to God. I’m very grateful that President Washington set aside a special day to incorporate the giving of thanks into our national mindset and heritage.

The Apostle Paul speaks about thanks-giving as a privilege and an obligation for believers in Colossians 3:12-17.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The idea of being thankful or giving thanks, as expressed here, is to keep on being and coming thankful as a continuous process of obligation and privilege. Eugene Peterson translates this verse in The Message like this:

Let every detail in your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

I like the way this same principle is articulated so plainly in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. The author has also added one additional word regarding giving thanks.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (New American Standard Bible.)

In everything give thanks. Now that word puts a whole new spin on things! It seems easy to give thanks when you’re enjoying a house full of family, friends, football, and food on Thanksgiving Day. But Paul is telling us to give thanks in everything. That’s a tall order, and “everything” includes a lot of stuff. If I were to be totally honest, there’s a whole lot of stuff I don’t feel thankful for at all! I’m sure you could come up with your own list of, “Stuff I Wouldn’t Be Thankful For, Lord.” But in God’s plan for each of us, there is a purpose for everything, the good as well as the not-so-good. Yes, it’s easy to be thankful for every joy and blessing. And yet the Bible tells us every trial and difficulty, every disappointment and failure, is part of His plan for our life. The difference is that with Him, there can be a silver lining for every cloud.

The Apostle Paul, no stranger to trials himself, tells us that through our purposeful acts of prayer, rejoicing, and giving thanks, especially in difficult or trying times, our very attitudes will be transformed. Simply by taking this action! Nobody claims it’s easy, but God promises to be with us, no matter what takes place in our lives. It is God’s will that we find joy (that we rejoice always) in thankful prayer in Christ Jesus, in every circumstance of our lives. Through this process, we will bless others, finding ways to show kindness and love to one another and grow in our relationship with God. No, it’s not easy to give thanks in every circumstance or time of testing. But obedience is not an option when it comes to our life in Christ.

Thou that has given so much to me,
Give one thing more – a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleases me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days;
But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise.
~ George Herbert

There is something refreshing and wonderful about being around a person who understands the concept of being grateful. They walk through life differently. The atmosphere around them is energizing. Henry Ward Beecher said, “The unthankful heart . . . discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!”