Thanksgiving!
What is Thanksgiving? Is it all about the food? Filling our guts until we can’t hold anymore and sitting down in misery? Maybe we don’t think about the misery part but when you overeat you definitely feel it and it is no fun. But a lot of people forget and do it all over again next year.
But when I think of Thanksgiving I think about family. I think about it being a time for the family to get together and enjoy fellowship. And to be thanking and praising God that He has brought us through another year, taking care of us through any trial or difficulty.
When you think about the first Thanksgiving, the year had not passed without difficulties. They had lost family members; there were major difficulties they had overcome. But the time of Thanksgiving was to praise the Lord for what they did have and for what God had brought them through.
Memorable
I am sure you have some memorable Thanksgivings. As I sit here and think, there is one that comes to my mind.
Our family had gone for the day to my husband’s brother’s home. All the children were still young enough that they enjoyed going outside and playing. One of their favorite things to play was tag in the dark. They would try not to come in the house because they would be afraid we would be ready to leave and if they showed up we would be prompted.
One year we were visiting as adults have a great time. Suddenly someone came in with one of my boys. There was a definite problem. He had been running through the dark and ran into a barbed wire fence. The warning had been issued but there are just some children that don’t really listen or think about it.
When I saw his eye I had to praise the Lord. Right under his eye, he had been sliced open. If he would have hit a little higher it would have been his eye and he probably would have been blind in one eye. We immediately took him in for stitches. Thanksgiving day was almost over but we had the biggest praise.
Then I thought
As I have sat here thinking about this story I thought about another aspect, a spiritual one. For those of you that know my family you would know which child this happened to. And we can think that he just never listens or does things without thinking. These things are very true but how many of us do the same thing. You might be thinking, “I have never been hurt like that, maybe once in my life but not like this kid.”
I can agree physically speaking but what about spiritually. How many times do we not listen to God and what He is trying to tell us? Maybe we don’t even study God’s Word because we don’t want to even know.
What happens is we end up with “wounds” when we choose not to listen? God is the only One that can “Stitch” up those “wounds” but the scare will always be there. Every time we make a decision in life we need to consider the “wounds” we cause ourselves or others and whether it is worth it. But most of the time we don’t even think we just do what seems right feels right, or just what we want to do.
Dear Father,
Help us to examine our lives to see where we really are. We need You to stay close to us and not give up on us. Give us the courage to study Your Word and listen to Your voice.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Remember to be thankful this year. Surrender all to God and listen to His voice.
Love you all!
Do you have a memorable Thanksgiving? I would love to hear your story. Share below.