Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
(Luke 22:19)
Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
(2 Corinthians 4:15)
Reflection:
As I write this, just outside my window I can see the last few leaves letting go of the trees. Even from inside, the air looks crisp with the temperatures of late fall. Even the smell of that air brings up memories of Thanksgivings past and the anticipation that Christmas is near.
Today is one of those days we all have from time to time. I am working from my dining room. My wife has the flu, my son has an ear infection, and my daughter doesn’t have school. Tonight, we are slated to be the overnight hosts for Family Promise at the church. The mounting responsibilities I must attend to, combined with the family responsibilities that were unplanned make for a stressful mix of long to-do lists and little time.
If your life is like mine (and from conversations with many of you I know that it is), you are often in situations where it is tempting to focus on what is not going right…to be upset about the ways in which things are not as they should be. I wish my wife were feeling better. I wish my son were well. I wish I had more time today to get the things done that must be done. I wish I didn’t have to work late tonight to make up for this unplanned time at home attending to my family. I wish, I wish, I wish…
Beneath all of that, though, runs a quiet sense of peace today…and the peace I feel begins with thanksgiving. Not the day, but the attitude. That sense of peace begins with a recognition of how richly blessed I am.
Every Sunday, we re-tell the story of how Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it for his disciples. This part of the service is even called “The Great Thanksgiving.” Biblically speaking, being a grateful person is part and parcel of being a Christian. We live in thanksgiving – a recognition that all that we have an all that we are is pure gift. Then, like the second verse linked above, our main job as the church is to do the things that extend to others that sense of thanksgiving.
It all boils down to this; there is a simple truth that many modern self-help books will tell you – but it is a truth that existed in the pages of the Bible long before that: GRATITUDE IS THE HEART OF JOY.
So today, take 5 minutes. On a piece of paper, or a blank document on your computer, attempt to make a list of everything you have to be thankful for. Keep writing. Keep typing. We all have much to be grateful for, and intentionally focusing on that tends to put our sorrows or hardships in the proper perspective.
Then, take a moment and look at your list…and offer a simple prayer of thanks to the One who has blessed you with it all.
Happy Thanksgiving from your Pastor & your St. Luke family!
Happy Thanksgiving from your Pastor & your St. Luke family!
Prayer: God of every good gift, inspire in us deep sense of gratitude for the lives we have. Help us not to measure our days by what we don’t have, but live in the joy that comes from recognizing what we do have. Amen.
