Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Canadians know that Thanksgiving was actually nearly two months ago but we will indulge our American neighbours who celebrate today. In both countries Thanksgiving used to be a big deal for Christian communities with a connection to gratitude for the harvest and strong attendance at Sunday worship. That doesn't seem to the reality any more, as this becomes just another long weekend on both sides of the border.
One Thanksgiving Sunday I rolled out a big chalkboard for the children's time and wrote the words Thanks and Giving then wiped them clean and put up Giving and Thanks. I was surprised by the number of adults who commented afterward that this simple rearrangement nudged them to ponder what the term Thanksgiving actually meant in terms of conscious gratitude.
Gratitude and thankfulness are essential to the spiritual life and as Christians we are called to be grateful for God's extravagant gift of love in Jesus, the Christ. While most of us are generally grateful for the fullness of our lives we may not be as inclined to be specific. I've kept a personal journal for decades and I go through periods where I intentionally finish each entry with something I'm thankful for in that day. Then I drift away from the habit until something nudges me back into the rhythm of expressing gratitude to God.
Today I'm hugely grateful that our two school-age grandkids are booked for their COVID-19 vaccinations next week. We are as happy about this development as we were to get our own jabs. What a wonderful country we live in where this is possible and the vast majority of us have been innoculated. God is good.
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