Thanksgiving "Week" Reflections

I have just reached the end of the Thanksgiving "week" and it has been busier than any week I can remember in a long time. I began the week with a phone call from a former parishioner asking me to do the funeral services for her mother. This was to be an unusual funeral in that her mother died a violent death as the victim of a shooting. I finished the week officiating at a wonderful event, the wedding of a former parishioner. In between, we celebrated a fine Thanksgiving with a dinner with our children and some very good friends. The range of activities, from mourning a loss to celebrating the beginning of life together, causes me to pause this season and reflect on what Thanksgiving should mean.

Thanksgiving is undergoing many challenges in our culture, primarily because of its supposed historical connection with the slaughter of the American Indians by European "invaders." In reality, the story of Thanksgiving has nothing to do with any battle between settlers and Indians. In fact, it has to do with the opposite, an incident of peaceful cooperation between the two peoples which resulted in a celebration of Thanksgiving to God. What is good, right, sure and true is that Thanksgiving should be celebrated as an example of what diverse human communities can peacefully be when God is lifted up and His ways are followed.

This Thanksgiving, I hope that you found some real reasons to give thanks to God. I know that I have. God's grace has abundantly flowed to me and my family. I have friends that are precious beyond reckoning. I have a job that helps provide, along with my wife's job, a good home for us. This year we were able to become a larger family with the taking on of guardianship of a young lady who has become our daughter. I am part of a wonderful church family as well, one that takes the Word of God as just that, the Word of God Himself, and one that gives His love to others in abundance. If I had half as much as I do, I would still have an amazing amount to be thankful for. The reason I can say that is because I know that I do not deserve to have anything! If God judged me according to my sinful heart, I would already be dead and suffering. But thanks be to God! He has granted me mercy according to His grace. Jesus came and suffered the punishment I deserved by His death on the cross. He paid the penalty and I don't have to because of Him! He brought to realize this and believe in Christ some 32 years ago, in May of 1975, and thus I am thankful to Him for it all! I hope you can say the same, for life eternal depends on it!