Feeding The Soul Of Thanksgiving

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Shopping for the turkey, ironing the good tablecloth, polishing the silver — all herald another Thanksgiving. There are so many things to do in the sprint to ready our grand feast, a banquet to feed our tummies. Yet as I rush, shop, clean, cook, and bake, sometimes I forget to just breathe, and savor the moments we are creating by gathering in community around the table.

While my desire is for a delicious meal, more importantly, my longing is to feed souls. Thanksgiving should never be about one day. It is a well-learned discipline to give gratitude to God not just on one day, but to stitch thanksgiving into all the days of the year. For everything we have, everything we are, is purely because of the grace of God. To thank God is to give him all the glory for the goodness in our lives.

1 Chronicles 29:13 tells us: Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. Now isn’t just one day of the year. Now is every day, every moment. So this year, I’ve scribbled a new “to-do” List.

Feed Gratitude. As I nurture this quality, joy thrives. Feeling gratitude doesn’t mean denying any tragedies in your life. Giving thanks is simply proclaiming the goodness of God.

Feed Flexibility. Our best laid plans may not happen. Guests will be late. Food may get cold, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing. Community is more important and it will always be comprised of what people are: broken, yet beautiful and always redeemable.

Feed Patience. (Lots of Patience)  A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. Proverbs 15:18 The Christian life is not meant to be comfortable, but challenging, compassionate and considerate. It is only in community that God shapes our character to more closely resemble his.

Feed Laughter. There’s nothing better than cultivating an atmosphere of deep belly laughing after a satisfying meal. I long for all of us to have a joyous heart — to reflect the love of Christ in all we do. There is no better way to express thanks to Christ than that.

Feed Contentment. With all the Black Friday sales, it’s difficult to remember the balance of “need vs. want.”Could those at the first Thanksgiving dinner ever imagine their holiday of love, peace, and thanks would get sandwiched in between Blackout Wednesday and Black Friday?

Feed Compassion. Even though sweet Aunt Sue has shared the same story for the fifteenth time, make her feel as if it is the first. Jesus treated people as individuals, accepting them with love and compassion. 

Feed Encouragement. We’re fragile and because of that, we should never underestimate the power of love. The impact of a kind word in a difficult season has great value. Praying with someone who is anxious feeds encouragement by strengthening the vital relationship with the God who loves us.

Feed Forgiveness. This is the year. Lay it at his feet. Let our Lord carry the burden. Extend forgiveness. Experience freedom.

On Thanksgiving, slow down and remember to feed your guests’ souls, their hearts, their imaginations, their creativity, and of course, their tummies. When the turkey is gone and the mashed potatoes are cold, all that is left are the shared moments and memories of doing life together, and I want to make the most of them, don’t you?