The Aroma of Gratitude

Ah, Thanksgiving Day. One day of celebrating and giving thanks is 364 days too short. We're WAY too blessed not to do as Paul exhorts us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Today we remember the first Thanksgiving Day, and the providence of the Lord working through the faithful pilgrims. They risked their lives for freedom to worship God in spirit and truth over 350 years ago. We remember the blessings we are still experiencing thanks to them.




Today, we feasted. Two tables end to end, tablecloths of golden wheat, floating candles, the aroma of a cornucopia of hearty food, all melding together to create an ambiance of warmth. Green beans/bacon, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, corn, sweet-potato-marshmallow casserole, homemade rolls, and of course, turkey, all laid out buffet-style.





I'm so thankful for my friends and family seated around the table. Conversations and fellowship were lively and words of wisdom spoken. Once bellies bulged to capacity, the "under 40 crowd" sunk to the cool of the basement and played a pretty intense game of Dutch-Blitz; fast paced for everyone being so engorged. Of course, I finished the game with -65. ;) We resurfaced for 3 kinds of pie and sparkling cider. T'was good indeed.

During dinner, we read snippets of wisdom on the spirit of thanksgiving, and warnings on ingratitude. I'm not sure of the sources of some of these, but I'll share some with you. I hope they encourage your heart like they did mine...

"Ingratitude is the mark of rank worldliness. It is the mark of an unbeliever. It is the character of an infidel to be ungrateful. Paul, in describing a lost world, said in Romans 1:21, 'Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful.' You are never more like a lost man, an unbeliever, than when you are ungrateful." -unknown

"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." - Colossians 4:2

Shakespeare described ingratitude as a "Marble-Hearted Fiend." That is, he said that an ingrate had the heart of solid marble. Shakespeare went on to say, "I hate ingratitude more in man than lying, vainness, babbling, drunkenness, or any taint of vice, whose strong corruption inhabits our frail blood."

"The key to unlocking a heart of gratitude and overcoming bitterness, ugliness, disrespect, and violence is a strong sense of dependence on God the Creator, Sustainer, Provider, and Hope-Giver. ...Remembering our dependence on past mercies kindles gratitude. Pondering the promises of tomorrow's mercies kindles faith. Gratitude is past-oriented dependence; faith is future-oriented dependence. Both forms of dependence are humble, self-forgetting, and God exalting... O that we might guard our hearts from the arrogance that unleashes a thousand evils in the world! Humble gratitude for all God has done for us in the past and humble trust in all He promises to do for us in the future --- this is the key." - (John Piper, A Godward Life, 46)

Matthew Henry, the famous Bible teacher, was once accosted by theives and robbed of all his money. He wrote these words in his diary: "I am so very thankful. First, because I was never robbed before. Second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life. Third, because although they took everything I had, it wasn't very much. Fourth, it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed."

Someone else has written these words: "The thief may have some streaks of honesty in him, the deadbeat spots of honor, the liar hours when he loves the truth, the libertine occasions when he has impulses to be pure; but there is nothing redemptive in the ingrate."

"Thus out of small beginnings greater things have grown by His hand Who made all things out of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light enkindled here has shone to many, yea, in a sense, to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise." - William Bradford, circa 1630

The sun is down now, and the last streaks of purple have faded from the rafters of the sky, and all is mellow inside. I see His rich grace as I look around the room at all I have that I don't deserve, and I see His kind mercy as I don't see what I do deserve. Past and present and future, the faithfulness of our Lord is astounding...and I know I don't even know the half of it. I'm so thankful for His grace to give thanks in everything, His mercy when I fail, and His ability to keep me from falling into ingratitude. May His mercy and grace continue to turn us into a grateful people!

"When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you." - Deut. 8:10

A Happy Thanksgiving to you, today and everyday!

~A