A Proper Thanksgiving - Martin Wiles

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Call me a sentimentalist, but I have my own ideas of what constitutes a proper Thanksgiving.

I remember the good ole’ days when we gathered at my grandmothers’ houses to celebrate the holidays, Thanksgiving among them. My paternal grandmother and grandfather had only two children: my father and his sister. Mom and Dad had three boys, and my aunt had a boy and a girl.

We all gathered at my grandparent’s house on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate. The kids sat around the kitchen table while the adults assembled in the dining room. And I remember when I reached that milestone and could graduate to the dining room table to eat with the adults.

My grandfather was a ham man and always cooked and sliced the ham. I don’t remember us celebrating with turkey, but my grandmother provided the trimmings. When we finished, we milled around doing various things: sitting and talking in the living room, watching a ball game on television, and playing in the fenced-in backyard.

We said our goodbyes around midday and drove thirty miles down the road to my maternal grandparents’ farm. Here, we repeated the same procedure. Mom had one sister who had three children. They lived fifty yards away, so getting to Grandma’s house required no driving for them.

But that was then, and this is now. I thought things had changed, but after talking with my middle brother, I guess they haven’t changed as much as I thought. All three of us brothers are now grandfathers and gather with our children and grandchildren on Thanksgiving and other holidays.

Still, I would love to add the great-grandparent level and see everyone gather at my mom’s house. I miss the part where we gather at the person’s house who stands the furthest back in our genealogical line. 

But really, a proper Thanksgiving includes much more than family gatherings. Paul encapsulates it in this one verse: give thanks to God in all circumstances. He wrote this long before anyone proclaimed a Thanksgiving holiday in America or any other country.

The holidays can be difficult. We miss the gatherings. We miss the ones who once gathered with us. Death is the lifetime thief that no law enforcement officer can capture. And times can get tough when circumstances come against us.

But circumstances should not determine our thanksgiving or joy. Regardless of our circumstances, we can know God is in control, loves us, blesses us, works all things together for our good, has mercy that endures forever, and has an eternity planned for us—all things to be thankful for, whether our Thanksgiving gatherings look like the ones we long for.

So on this Thanksgiving, observe a proper Thanksgiving.

Father, help me always to remember to thank you in all circumstances and at all times.

Tweetable: What Thanksgiving memories do you have? 

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