To Thank or Not to Thank?

Thanksgiving. Like you, I’ve lived through all kinds of ways to celebrate this holiday. Growing up I remember eating way too much food and feeling sick the rest of the day! As I grew older and Thanksgiving fell to me to host, I didn’t eat quite so much, but I did a lot more work preparing the house and the meal. I recall feeling a little overwhelmed sometimes, and maybe at times a little resentful. I know, I know. That’s not the way we’re supposed to feel on a holiday meant to inspire gratitude, but I imagine if we’re honest, we’ve all faced similar emotions now and then.

Now, looking back? I’d trade any negative feelings for those big family gatherings and laughter around the table. Now I know what it’s like to truly have an empty nest where kids live too far away to visit for the holidays. And despite the work? I would do it again to have the company. I think many of you know of what I speak. But that’s not really the point of what I’ve been thinking about today.

Mostly, I’ve been thinking about gratitude and thanksgiving. There are so many ways to approach this subject. But I’ve been thinking about all the things I’m thankful for…and not thankful for. If you will bear with me on this day of remembered gratitude, I will begin with the negatives. I hope my meaning becomes clear.

In no particular order, I am NOT thankful FOR: 

• human trafficking  
• sex abusers  
• greedy leaders
• liars
• murderers
• pornographers
• immorality or any sort of evil.
• I am NOT thankful FOR sin.

I am not grateful FOR natural disasters that devastate lives or war or people who hurt children or disease or pain or a broken, selfish world. I am NOT thankful when I act in ways that hurt people I love or disappoint myself because I know better and I want to be a woman of great faith.

As Christians, we often think we have to be grateful for everything, but that’s not a true representation of the passages where thanksgiving and gratitude are found. Paul tells us, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” IN is not the same as FOR. (emphasis mine)

So yeah, there are a lot of things I’m not thankful FOR this Thanksgiving.

But…EVEN WHEN they happen…in the midst of everything I wish would change for good, for God, I can be thankful IN those situations because I’m thankful TO God for so much more.

And I know He is not happy with these things either. Love isn’t glad about injustice and God is love at its highest level.

In the middle of a 102.5 degree fever and body aches and chills and feeling like I was dying a few weeks ago, I could still choose to be thankful TO God for a loving husband who took me to the doctor and electricity and heat to keep me warm (even if my body was TOO warm). I could be thankful TO God for other things…clean water, a roof over my head, things I too often take for granted.

And after I started feeling better, I could think of many more things beyond my NOT THANKFUL FOR list.

There is SO much for which to be grateful.

• People who make it their mission to rescue people from sex slavery.
• Courageous #metoo victims who speak up to help draw awareness to a problem that is as old as sin itself.
• People who speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
• Kind, selfless people who give even when they don’t have much to give, like the widow with her two mites who Jesus commended over the greedy Pharisees.
• Honest people who can look you in the eye and you don’t later find out you’ve been deceived.
• Moral people who live as Jesus did loving the least of these without judgment, simply forgiveness. 
• People who speak the truth in love.
• Kindness.
• While only God is truly good, we can see His reflection in people who are made in His image when they do good to others, as He would have us do.

I can be thankful for all these things. And I am very grateful for people I love–family, friends, co-workers, and fellow authors, and people who make life a journey of humble grace. Most of all? I am thankful that there is a Savior for this broken, selfish world. I grateful there is a Savior for me.

When it all comes down to it, Thanksgiving isn’t about how many people I can cram around our kitchen table or whether the kids come home for the meal. It’s not about how it used to be. We can’t go back and relive even our most favorite moments. It’s about gratitude TO God for what He has done for us to fix all of those things I’m NOT thankful for. Thankful that Jesus has already made a way to turn this upside down, messed up world into paradise gained. 

We don’t have to wallow in all of the ungrateful feelings we may carry because of our daily trials and frustrations. We can thank God in advance for what He will do in the future. We can thank God right now for what He is doing in our hearts and in the lives of those for whom we pray. And we can thank God that He has always accomplished the work that had to be done so that Thanksgiving could overflow with abundance TO Him. For IN HIM we live and move and have our being. All things hold together because of Him. In Him more blessings and joy can be found than anywhere else on earth.

I have MUCH to be thankful IN and sometimes even thankful FOR.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

~Selah

#thanksgiving #tothankornottothank