Give thanks....to the Holy One

 

 

"It is a day that most families really look forward too. It is truly a day to give thanks..."

Thanksgiving is here. A day of fun, family, fires in the hearth, and last but certainly not least, FOOTBALL! But if we can peel away all the above things I just mentioned, what really is Thanksgiving? Glenn Beck believes it is the start of the Holy season in this country. I think he might be right.

It is good and right to be thankful. Growing up, our parents taught us to say "thank you" when someone did something nice or kind for you. But who do we thank on this day? People of faith believe we should thank God for the abundant blessings He continues to pour down upon us. Our pastor tells us every morning when your feet hit the floor, which is your first blessing of the day.

One thing many of us take for granted (I know I do), is the unbelievable abundance of food we have in this country. We produce enough food to feed everyone in this country, as well as a big chunk of the world's population. We truly are living in the Horn of Plenty. Some countries have resource problems where they simply cannot produce enough food to feed their population. In this country we only have an allocation problem. A problem which can be greatly reduced by those who have enough sharing with those who do not.

Today, when everyone arrives for family time, the house will look and smell very festive. In most families, this will be a good day - a very good day. However, before the first bite of turkey is consumed, we will bow our heads to give thanks. We will give thanks to the Holy One, the provider of everything. It is the right thing to do as we have all of us, been richly blessed again year.