Leftovers

If your family had a big feast for Thanksgiving, then you may still have some leftovers in the refrigerator.   Leftovers are terrific – you don’t have to re-cook them, they’re in these mysterious foil wrappings and containers in the fridge, and usually they are favorite foods.   Very tasty indeed.  Thanksgiving leftovers are culinary highlights around our house … appetizers to Christmas.  Let’s not move too quickly from Thanksgiving and its leftovers to the Christmas season.  Let’s linger a bit over thanksgiving – there’s more here than meets the eye.
 
Many people celebrated Thanksgiving without knowing Who they were thanking.  Folks may have had a solid list of blessings they were genuinely grateful for, but could this be a diversion from the right reason for giving thanks?
 
At family times, listen to the way we pray, "Thank You."  Try to emphasize “thank YOU (our Father in heaven)" more than the list of things.  If our deep desire is to thank YOU (our Father in heaven), then it changes everything about thanksgiving and our prayers.  In this sense, giving thanks is our response to knowing YOU – our Father Who is infinitely and personally loving, truthful, freeing, unchanging, all-knowing, just, generous, forgiving, full of grace, and so much more than we understand.  YOU trump all the things I conjure up on my thanksgiving list.
 
Thanksgiving to YOU isn’t meant to be a leftover – He designed it to be the Main Thing for us - year round.
 
In "Jesus Calling", Sarah Young sees genuine thankfulness as a door into a richly spiritual daily walk.   Think of Psalm 34:8,“Oh taste and see that the LORD is good...” as you consider two thoughts about walking in thankfulness.
 
How can I stay consciously open to God’s loving Presence?   Today, try thanking Him for everything and trusting Him at all times.  A consistently thankful attitude opens my heart to God’s Presence and my mind to His thoughts.
 
After Christ’s resurrection, two of God’s cornerstone messages for us are: Peace be with you, and I am with you always.   Perhaps the best way to receive these gifts is to thank Him for them each day.
 
Today (yes today, Monday, November 29, 2010), is the day which the LORD has made.  In Christ, I can choose joy throughout the moments that make up today. I can walk with Him along the high road of thanksgiving.
 
True Thanksgiving wasn’t only meant for last Thursday.  Today, thank YOU, LORD.   Now let’s see if the refrigerator has some leftover turkey and mashed potatoes – mmm, good.