What Thanksgiving Means To Me

By Renee Johnson (my sister), Nov 2002.

Thanksgiving to me is a lifestyle, not just one day of celebrating the abundance we enjoy with the people that we love. It is continually reflecting and giving thanks for all God’s goodness and grace. We may not have all that we want, but God has promised to provide all that we need (Php 4:19). Am I truly thankful for the way God has provided for me, or am I complaining about what I don’t have or cannot do? Am I jealous that my neighbor is prosperous while my finances are going down the tubes at a rather fast rate? Do I truly see the blessings God gives to me each day?

These are the thoughts I ponder daily. God, in His great mercy, lovingly shows me His ways and His plans for what my life is all about, and what to truly be thankful for. I am thankful that the struggles of this life will not last forever, and that this is not my home. Lamentations 3:21-26 says, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassion’s never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Jesus taught us that life is about giving, and not just during the holidays. Giving isn’t about sending money to some ministry, it’s about helping others, giving of our time, and sharing all that we have with others. It’s about reaching out beyond ourselves and showing compassion and understanding – even to our enemies. It’s about loving, forgiving, and going the second mile. Jesus said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Mat 5:41)

God’s promises for giving are found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-12. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”

Yes, I do enjoy a day of celebrating with family and friends, making memories, and telling my loved ones why I am so thankful for each of them. However, I am just beginning to realize that the depth of true thanksgiving is in knowing that it has nothing to do with me. It’s all about what Christ has done for me, and what He is continuing to do through me and for me. “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)” This is what I am truly thankful for, and this is what Thanksgiving means to me.