A Day of Thankfulness





Happy Belated Thanksgiving!! :) Thanksgiving is A Day of Thankfulness. A day to be with family and friends. A day to eat lots of food. A day of giving thanks.

*I began this blog on Thanksgiving morning, attempting to count my blessings and recognize what and who I am thankful for, yet my day did not go as I had expected and this blog was incomplete Thanksgiving Day.

I have to admit and confess: I was quite the opposite of thankful on the day of Thanksgiving and those to follow.  I am embarrassed to admit this, however it is the truth. My family can testify that I was not being myself, I was "out of it", quiet, and irritated. And, why was this? Good question! Looking back, I believe it was because I was "in a rut", focused on myself, and worried about many things. I allowed my self-centerdness to affect how thankful I was on A Day of Thanks. Wow! This is not an easy thing to admit, but I know I could not have been the only one who wasn't thankful on thanksgiving, or who was irritated somehow, focusing on myself. How could it be that we are given one day a year to be thankful and I blew it. That leads me to something I can be thankful for...God's grace and a new start, everyday. It took me a few days to "snap out of it" as some may call, but I believe that it took me some time to "Strengthen myself in the Lord" and be humbled in the process as I recognized my selfishness and chose to change my attitude so that it aligned with Christ's. The day following Thanksgiving, I did my best to be Christ-like as I spent time in God's word at a nearby Starbucks. God urged me to read Philippians 2, which states as follows:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but to each of you to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset/ attitude as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:5-8

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Philippians 2:14-15

*The entire chapter 2 of Philippians is very good and if you're looking for a short read in general, the entire book of Philippians is only 4 chapters, but it is very profound!

And so, here is the post that I began on the Day of Thanks...

What if today you only have what you were thankful for yesterday? 

A friend recently shared this with me and I thought to myself...some days I might have nothing if this were true. Other days I'd have a lot. And when I sit down and reflect on how thankful I really am, I find out I'm not a very thankful person. I don't know about you, but I am first of all thankful for one day every year to be reminded to be thankful.

The Bible talks being thankful in many different places, yet somehow, I still manage to forget to be thankful everyday. What about you? Do you start your day off with thanksgiving? Let's be reminded of the following Scriptures and do the best we can to become more thankful people. Why should we only be thankful one day each year? According to the quote above, we'd have nothing except for the day after Thanksgiving.

The Bible defines THANK(FUL)(FULNESS)(S)(GIVING) as to express gratitude or appreciation

"Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." Psalm 95:2

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

""The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said..." 1 Corinthians 11:23-24

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

*Here is where I left off and I pick up again...

After reflecting on this Day of Thanks I realize that everyday is an opportunity to be thankful. I have actually been much more thankful since Sunday, when I strengthened myself in the Lord and acted on His word. I am currently reading the Jesus Calling Devotional book by Sarah Young and the past week or so has been about thankfulness. She writes from God's perspective writing to us. Here are some words that she shared in her devotional that stuck out to me...

Every time you thank Me, you acknowledge that I am your Lord and Provider. This is the proper stance for a child of God: receiving with thanksgiving.

Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As you thank Me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall off your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of My glorious riches.

A life of praise and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing. This is the power of praise: centering your entire being in Me. This is how I created you to live, for I made you in My own image. Enjoy abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness.

Walk with Me along the high road of thanksgiving, and you will find all the delights I have made ready to you.

To protect your thankfulness, you must remember that you reside in a fallen world, where blessings and sorrows intermingle freely. Neglecting the practice of giving thanks has darkened their minds. How precious are My children who remember to thank Me at all times. They can walk through the darkest days with Joy in their hearts because they know that the Light of My Presence is still shining on them.

Thank Me frequently as you journey though today. This practice makes it possible to pray without ceasing, as the apostle Paul taught. If you are serious about learning to pray continually, the best approach is to thank Me in every situation. These thankful prayers will provide a solid foundation on which you can build all your other prayers. Moreover, a grateful attitude makes it easier for you to communicate with me.

When your mind is occupied with thanking Me, you have no time for worrying or complaining. If you practice thankfulness consistently, negative thought patterns will gradually grow weaker and weaker. Draw near to Me with a grateful heart, and My Presence will fill you with Joy and Peace.

Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything. There is an element of mystery in this transaction: You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you Joy (regardless of your circumstances). This is a spiritual act of obedience- at times, blind obedience. To people who don't know Me intimately, it can seem irrational and even impossible to thank Me for heartrending hardships.

Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same set of circumstances, but it is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see it from My perspective.

May you understand that even in the midst of pursuing Him, there are times you may not feel thankful. I mean, look at me, someone pursuing Him with all she has, and is not thankful on the most thankful day of the year. This has to show you that I'm not perfect, Christians aren't perfect. But we can learn from our experiences and for me this thanksgiving it was that I need to be thankful daily, not just one day every year. I encourage you to be thankful more often. We have so much to be thankful for, it's not that hard if you look around. Just begin professing it and watch how God transforms you through the process.