Happy Thanks Giving!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Just a thought about what goes on today. Many people will think of it as "turkey day" or a chance to O.D. on football (though I believe the schedule is limited this year).

Believe it or not, these secondary, sectarian things are an important part of Thanksgiving. They are, of course, not the central theme, but joy shared with friends and family is one of the main ideas. Originally it would have been singing, story telling and perhaps dancing.

But for what and to whom are we thankful? This should include anything that has been a blessing (oops, there's one of those - um - old fashioned words) to you. You should be grateful to your family and friends for whatever they have extended to you: help, growth or just understanding and companionship; perhaps just a hand, a shoulder or an ear. Family and friends are a blessing in themselves, of course. Some don't have these gifts. Don't take them for granted. You should also be grateful for those people, for their existence and their relationship with you. And to whom does one express this gratitude?

Oooops. Another one of those awkward, old fashioned notions. This one simply must go to God, in whatever way you comprehend Him. For me, this is God the Father, maker of heaven and Earth, at whose right hand now sits my Lord Jesus, his only son, who together with the Father and Holy Spirit holds the universe in their collective hand.  Oh, and who holds for me a place where all is made right, just for believing and doing my poor best - - an ultimate reason that transcends nice-but-limited Earthly reasons.

Its nice to have some definition in mind for all this, but even if you are one of those who simply believes is an amorphous "God" with no other details (I know that not all of my understanding is correct, because I'm just a fallible human), that's fine. But today I think you need to believe consciously and gratefully. The Founders, far from just "Deists" ('cause if they were, they sure packed a lot of praise, gratitude and pleas to Christ and Father in their daily writings). Take a moment and dedicate it to that gracious being, whatever He is.

I am glad that I don't have to be grateful to some dead, uncaring "odds" or random physics for my soul or blessings, or think that this (nice as most of it is) is "all there is". That must be a real stretch to get joyful over, or all nostalgic about for a HOLY day - er, holiday.

Nice job, God! Please keep it up.