Thanksgiving. A uniquely American tradition. Grateful hearts, which have somehow been pushed aside at times, but which are still reflected by the name of the holiday, pilgrims, native Americans, turkey, cranberry sauce (a berry native to this land), stuffing (or dressing depending on where you live), sweet potatoes, pies of all kinds, including pumpkin and pecan, Macy’s parade, football, preparation for the shopping season of Christmas, and so much more.
It’s so fitting that we, as Americans, celebrate our gratefulness with food (lots of it), family, and a focus on shopping. I don’t say that negatively (at least not on this day), but just matter of factly. It’s a true characterization of our culture. While the Riley family travels the world the one thing we find ourselves immediately talking about with Americans we meet is FOOD. After your 30th meal of rice in ten days in many nations, even a McDonald’s cheeseburger sounds good again. (I will say that gallo pinto in Costa Rica is YUMMY!)
But I’m not writing today to comment on American culture. I truly want to focus on a couple of things. First, Thanksgiving explicitly demonstrates that there is something or someone to be thankful to. And thankful am I to the One who gives us all things. God is so faithful, infinitely so. He has provided at every turn. I cannot doubt God’s love, faithfulness, or existence given how He has so vividly provided for us over the years. And as He has demonstrated His love toward us, we must proclaim how much we love Him – we are compelled to serve Him, love Him, and give our lives to Him. He answers our prayers, speaks clearly to us through so many ways, and has given us everything we need.
Second, I am so thankful for my family. A few years ago our family wasn’t so well. The main turkey was me. Tara and I had grown quite apart, pursuing different jobs, always on the run with kids’ activities, business travel, and a menagerie of tantalizing distractions that ensured our focus fell on anything but God (except on Sunday morning) and family. It seemed we had found a tryptophan that dulled our sense of God and our physical bodies stayed awake, but our spirits napped soundly. I can now say, praise God, that Tara and I are more close today than ever in our marriage, that our marriage stands stronger than ever, that our love for our children is an ever present reality, and that we long for our family to be an instrument of God’s grace anywhere He leads us to impact nations for the Kingdom of Christ. We also have grown to understand that God is a reality 24/7, and that everything is spiritual, not just those things we label as Christian or that are associated with a building we went to once or twice a week. Thank you, God, for waking us up to what life really is all about!
