Thanksgiving, from the inside out

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:1-4a NIV)

The fate of a nation hung in the balance. They were committed to pilgrimage but the very God they thought had sent them was now unleashing his fury upon them. There was the seemingly endless journey; the tiny ships were falling apart and disease infected. The lower storage seemed eerily illuminated by the fevers flowing in the bodies of the sick and dying. Many family and friends were lost here.

At last, they found their promised home and they rejoiced in God. They thought they would be joining others that had come before, but now they could not find them, so they went ashore and that night the only real landmark they could find was out by the beach. It was a very large stone which they named Plymouth. And so it was there the Pilgrims had their very first prayer meeting.

At first, it looked like things would go fine. They had many skilled craftsmen in their group but then the waves hit: more disease, food, weather, and the ones they thought were their enemies.

In reality, the Indians were the ones that saved their lives in all these areas, showing them how to live.

After their first meager harvest, they decided to have a great meal. So that day when they sat down, they gave thanks. In spite of everything they had gone through, they gave thanks. And guess who came to dinner?

Thank God for what is important to God

This point is magnified by the lyrics to this popular song “Live Like You Were Dying”, sung by Tim McGraw. You can hear the song at (http://www.rhapsody.com/tim-mcgraw)

He said I was in my early forties

with a lot of life before me

when a moment came that stopped me on a dime

and I spent most of the next days

looking at the x-rays

Talking bout the options

and talking bout sweet time

I asked him when it sank in

that this might really be the real end

how's it hit you when you get that kinda news

man what'd you do

and he said

I went sky diving

I went Rocky Mountain climbing

I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchu

and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter

and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying

and he said someday I hope you get the chance

to live like you were dying.

He said I was finally the husband

that most the time I wasn't

and I became a friend a friend would like to have

and all of a sudden going fishin

wasn't such an imposition

and I went three times that year I lost my dad

well I finally read the good book

and I took a good long hard look

at what I'd do if I could do it all again

and then

I went sky diving

I went Rocky Mountain climbing

I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchu

and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter

and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying

and he said someday I hope you get the chance

to live like you were dying.

Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about

what'd you do with it what did you do with it

what did I do with it

what would I do with it'

Sky diving

I went Rocky Mountain climbing

I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchu

and then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter

and I watched an eagle as it was flying

and he said someday I hope you get the chance

to live like you were dying.

So on Thanksgiving, after your favorite meal, as your friends and family all gather in the family room in front of the idiot box, be careful, do the things you like to do, enjoy life, talk to your friends, but don’t allow the NFL, infomercials or a marathon of I Love Lucy to slip you off into speechlessness. Just live like you were dying.

Thank God for everything you or others have done to yourself

This is an opportunity to look at all your circumstances over the past year, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Things that have been done to us, especially that do not seem fair, some of these we bring on ourselves, sometimes others do these out of cruelty, and sometimes it seems that perhaps even God is doing it. Then take all these blessings and wrap them in a box and have a time of prayer where you give your love, forgiveness, mercy and grace to whomever needs it, including you.

Count Your Blessings

This is your opportunity to let go and praise. Spend some time thanking God for whatever or whoever comes to mind. It may only be a sentence but it may make an eternity worth of difference to them and to you.

Just like for the Pilgrims, once again our nation’s future was being threatened. Washington led his troops into the valley about this same time of year. The big problem was his soldiers’ served under a limited time contract and it was up. They were valiant, courageous, and many times defeated an enemy much larger, but Washington would use the gifts that would eventually have him called “The Father of Our Country” and President of the United States.

His soldiers stayed with him. They overcame and triumphed, chasing England all the way home. There in the valley at that moment, all they could think of was they had no food and were freezing. Some were lucky enough to have 2 shoes, some only one. Some only had ragged remnants of socks.

Remember to count your blessings.

Counting you, and with you,
Dan