By Gene Clapp, Jefferson Academy
As an adult I always looked forward to Thanksgiving! It wasn’t all about the great food, though that was really good! Our family has a tradition of all getting together at Thanksgiving so we look forward to husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandpa and grandma, all joining together at one of our family member’s home.
We come from long ways away or very near, but it is the getting together that we love! As part of this tradition, wherever we are celebrating, we have a project.
They let us know in advance and we prepare for family work at that house.
When the celebration was at my house it was putting up a new fence, maybe a gate, at mom and dad’s house we helped in the shop for a woodworking project dad was working on, or at another house, put in a sidewalk, or build an awning, or new shelving in the pantry.
As my sister-in-laws, my brother, my father and mother surveyed the work in progress or at the end, thank you just overflowed! It was a joy to do the work together, no arguments, just fun to work together again.
How can my talents be used to help make this project happen? Throughout the time together, the thanks overflowed not only for the project completed but also for the great cooks in the kitchen and the food on the table.
The thanks were to the participants but especially to God
From the Bible, it is clear that David liked to thank God for the care, protection and direction He gave in David’s life, the strength received, and the relationship enjoyed.
If you read many of the Psalms that David wrote, he regularly tells us to Praise God, Thank God, Lift up God, because of what He has done in David’s life and in our own.
He took care of David’s enemies, God lifted David up from some very deep valleys of sorrow, depression and hurt. God guided David through some very tough times, and as Psalm 23 tells us, “But thou art with me” and “I will fear no evil.”
God has taken care of each of us, in good times, in bad times, whether we acknowledge Him or not, but God likes to hear you tell others about what He has done for you. David gave us some very clear instruction to share with each other, what God has done for you! David wrote a song of Thanksgiving and shared it with us.
Here is just a part of it, 1st Chronicles 16:8-9, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!”
On this Thanksgiving, give thanks! Not only for the good food, for the things someone else has done for you, but also to God for all His deeds in your life