On November 1st several of my neighbors deflated their over-sized Halloween figures, then inflated their over-sized Christmas figures.  Santa and manger songs popped up on the radio, and the shopping malls began to transform into winter wonderlands.  While thousands of turkeys wished it would be so easy to forget, we still managed to squeeze in another time-worn holiday.

Many of us relished our 4-day weekend, but Thanksgiving came and went all too fast.  I always enjoy seeing my daughters, son-in-laws, and grandsons.  I missed seeing a close friend of mine who was away at his sisters this year, but I delighted in being with a Russian girl that my daughter is caring for.  We only had three carnivores at a table set for nine, so a partial bird was prepared.  I prayed over the meal, actually giving thanks for taste buds.  That’s why we gathered, right?

The food was delicious, as expected, right down to the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes that had set the oven on fire a little earlier.  I didn’t fall asleep after the meal, which was a miracle, and I made a conscious effort to engage everyone in the room.  Another daughter, son-in-law and grandson joined us for desert, having shared their meal with other relatives. I truly was, and am, thankful for those that are in my life.

The Bible says to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)  It’s easy to give thanks when things are going well, but how do you give thanks when life is, well, lifeless?  I remember in several previous Thanksgiving prayers preaching (how many prayers have you heard that are nothing more than sermons?) that we shouldn’t relegate giving thanks to just one day of the year, that we should always be thankful.

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