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My diary reads, 11/20/1986: “Oh God I hurt so much, my body at times is numb and full of emptiness, my mind at times is scrambled, sometimes I must stop and look for I feel as though my body is on a constant roller coaster. Hurting, numbness, gladness, happiness, tears, smiles, fears, all these feelings running through my body. I miss my loved one oh so much… but I should take into consideration this word ‘Thanksgiving.’ Maybe Thanksgiving is not just turkey and dressing, parades, football, and family get-togethers. This word Thanksgiving has much more meaning as I give Thanks for giving me the time to spend with my loved ones, to grow together and the time we spend together. As much as it hurts maybe in some special way I give thanks for giving my loved one a way out of pain, suffering, and humiliation, by the final act of live, the act of death.”
This Thanksgiving as I sit and eat turkey instead of feeling blue and dependent maybe I should offer Thanksgiving for giving me some of the best times of my life with my loved one. Thanks for giving me a chance to carry out my life to the fullest and to carry on with the relationship with my loved one I only knew with my loved one who will still be with me in spirit.
Thanksgiving a twelve letter word, a word that has meaning every day of the year, a word that has “special” meaning to me alone for I have so much to give Thanksgiving for.” John Walter Mock
The Bible teaches us that a thankful attitude joins heaven and earth whereas, an ungrateful attitude keeps heaven and earth, the spiritual and the material, separate. When we are thankful, we recognize what we have, and that everything comes to us because of the mercy of God. In turn Thankfulness turns us towards the heavens and higher than the level of the beast.
Please open your Bible to John 6:1-14,
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a multitude followed Jesus, because they saw the signs, which Jesus did on those who were diseased. Jesus went up into the hills, and there sat down with his own disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” This Jesus said to test him, for Jesus knew what he would do. Philip answered him; “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of Jesus disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Jesus, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down in numbers about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, Jesus distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, Jesus told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost. So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the signs which Jesus had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
As we read this scripture we see a crowd of 5000 people and the amazing story of Jesus feeding all of them with some left over from five loaves of barley bread, bread that is wheat and dairy free, and two fish. This was indeed a fabulous miracle that Jesus performed and the miracle saw Jesus’ popularity sky rocked to where the people wanted to make Jesus the king.
But there is something else going on in this scripture lesson, did you notice what Jesus did with the bread and the fish? “Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks.” Something that is a reoccurring theme of Jesus life for Jesus was a ‘thanker.’ In fact John tells us in John 6:22-23, that on the next day people returned to the place where Jesus had “given thanks.”
Jesus Christ (the Son of God of all people), gave thanks whom some might think would be the be the last person to give thanks for anything. For everything we know comes from the hands of God and Jesus was God in the flesh on earth. But this scripture from the Book of John 6, is not the only time that Jesus gave thanks.
As I Corinthians 11:23-25 tells us,
On the night of His betrayal as Jesus sat in the Upper Room with His disciples Jesus took the bread and when he gave thanks he broke it and said, Take, eat, this is my body broken for you, eat this often in remembrance of me. And after supper Jesus took the cup, gave thanks and blessed it and said take drink, this is my blood of the new covenant shed for the forgiveness of the sins of many. Drink this often in remembrance of me.
Why did Jesus give thanks? Jesus gave thanks for He saw beyond the material, that which is before us, to the spiritual from God the maker and giver of us all. Sadly many in 2007 tend to be like Linus who prayed at Thanksgiving; “Thank you for this we bought to eat.”
Even the Babylonians whom Daniel lived among in the Bible knew better than to live this foolishness. They believed that all of life is religious, thus they offered the food they ate up to the gods and every meal and drink was offered up to their Babylonian Gods. And as one reflects on this how can one not stop to think of the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31,
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
So why give thanks? To give thanks is to lift up what we are giving thanks for to God and for it to become dedicated to the service not of this world but of God for then it becomes “sacred?” That is why in the Bible Jericho was sacred, and why it was wrong for Achan in the Book of Joshua to take the silver and gold. And Samson the Nazarite could not cut his hair or drink any wine. As I reflected upon this, as I reflected on Sampson, it reminded me of the teenage boy who wanted a car. His father told him when he cut his hair and brought home good grades from school he could have a car and not until then. The teenage boy advised his dad that he should not have to cut his hair or worry about getting good grades in school to drive because Sampson didn’t cut his hair or go to school. Calmly the teenage boy’s dad replied, and Sampson walked everywhere too!
On this Thanksgiving we need to give thanks. On this Thanksgiving we need to join the material world to the spiritual world. On this Thanksgiving we need to dedicate to God what has been given to us. Like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we need to give thanks.
First of all we should thank God who knew us before we were formed in our mothers womb and gave us the gift of life.
Second, we should give thanks to God for our health, and the ability to function.
Third, we should give thanks to God for providing our physical needs. Yes, it might be nice to drive a newer car, to have a nicer lifestyle, more money, but they do not come to us by chance.
Fourth, we should give thanks for our families while realizing there are no perfect living families. Yes, it is painful to see families broken by death, disease, divorce, and despondency. But we need to give thanks for those we love and the love we have for and with them.
Fifth, we should give thanks for our health and that which we can do.
And last but most important, we should give thanks to God for His unconditional grace and love of us, a sinner, of all people.
Life, my life, your life, our life, is a perspective for when Robin Crusoe was shipped wrecked on his lonely island, he drew up in two columns what he called the evil and the good. He was cast on a desert island, but he was alive – not drowned like his crewmates. He had no clothes but he was in a hot climate where he did not need them. He was apart from human society but he was not starving. He was without any means of defense but he saw no harmful wild beast. He had no one with whom he could speak, but God had sent the ship so near the shore that he could get out of it all the things necessary for his basic wants.
On this Thanksgiving, 2007, what do you have to give thanks for in your life? In the words of the Psalmist, a Psalm for the thank offering,
Psalm 100:
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
As we enter into Thanksgiving 2007, let us be like Jesus and give thanks. I invite you to write down that which you have to give thanks for. Give thanks for the big and small while realizing that this joins the material to the spiritual. Give thanks realizing this makes the profane sacred and dedicates it to the service of God. Give thanks to God for his many blessings. Then pray over them and give them to the Lord.
I dreamed I went to heaven and you were there with me. We walked upon the streets of gold beside the crystal sea. We heard the angels singing then someone called your name, you turned and saw this young man and he was smiling as he came. And he said friend you may not know me now and then he said, but wait. You used to teach my Sunday School when I was only eight and every week you would say a prayer before the class would start. And one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in my heart.
Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave. Then another man stood before you and said remember the time a missionary came to your church and his picture made you cry? You didn’t have much money but you gave it anyway. Jesus took the gift you gave and that’s why I’m here today.
Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave. One by one they came far as the eye could see, each life somehow touched by your generosity. Little things that you had done, sacrifices made, unnoticed on earth in heaven now proclaimed. And I know up in heaven you’re not suppose to cry but I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes. As Jesus took your hand you stood before the Lord He said, my child look around you great is your reward. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave. I am so glad you gave.
Let us be in prayer,
Father God in this life as we know life in the sin of the flesh may we stop to be thankful for the gifts that you have given us. The gift of differences for what fun would life be if we were all alike? The gift of being unique for no two people is made alike. Thank you Father God for the daily gifts that we have in our lives. And Father God, thank you for you. Amen.
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