Finding the Way Home
The eNewsletter Archive

Below is the archived version of Marshall Hayden's eNewesletter "Finding the Way Home." If you would like to be added to to mailing list, please send a blank email to evangelism-subscribe@worthingtoncc.org.

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Thanksgiving 2007

What is there that would make more sense than this?

This week’s celebration, I believe, is the purest holiday of all. The special celebrations of the Christian faith, at their heart, are wonderful – the day we call Christmas Day, when we bow before the newborn King, and the day we call Easter, resurrection day, when our hearts are ready to explode with hope. But our culture has loaded so much extra baggage on them that it is fairly hard to focus on the truth-beyond-imagination that they announce. We won’t miss rejoicing in the love and hope they represent; but we have to deal with the distractions of Santa Claus, wrapping paper, technology, busyness (and even the short tempers of tired people), a bunny, and baskets of candy.

The only distractions on Thanksgiving Day are pretty innocent – some overeating of good things (like turkey and stuffing), a little bit of football, and pumpkins. But it is almost impossible to miss the point. Life is such a privilege. Friends and family, others created in God’s image, warm our hearts. The marvelous earth, the balance of nature, that sustains us with food and breath, amazes us when we think about it. And those of us who live in this country are privileged beyond imagination.

We know that these blessings have not just happened by some random happenstance. And even when the secular world around us tries to direct us to put the focus on thanking our friends, teachers, family, and dumb luck (or good fortune), we know that it all comes from God. It is the almighty, sovereign God, Lord of heaven and earth that we fully intend to thank. And goodness knows, nothing can make more sense than that.

In fact, it isn’t nearly enough. Every Thanksgiving Day I think of a comment made by our teacher Beauford Bryant, a gift from God to thousands of students. Right before this fall break one year, in his quiet, smiling voice, he said “I think that we should have 364 days a year for giving thanks and one day a year for griping.”

One top of what God deserves to have from us is the reality that there is no attitude that is better for us ourselves than gratitude. What could be healthier? What could do us more good than to be thankful? The result is raised spirits, heightened pleasure, lifted burdens, and lengthened stride. Try it! Try raising your hand in gratitude to another driver who has shown you highway consideration. Try raising the corners of your mouth in gratitude for good service at “McWendys” or “Tim Starbucks.” Try raising the eyebrows over your smile in gratitude to the thoughtfulness or extra help that a coworker has given you. Try raising a “thank you” over the noise in the mall when a clerk has gone above and beyond the call of duty with your purchase or account.

And before you go to bed tonight get on your knees and thank God for his indescribable gift, the born-to-die-and-then-to-live again king of kings, offered to us that “they might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).”