Making Headlines during Thanksgiving

Ok, first let me apologize for not writing an entry for a few days. Sometimes work gets in the way, sometimes life, sometimes I sit down and don’t have anything to write. That has to be considered a victory since this blog is about overcoming hate with love. So it is with trepidation that I start today’s entry. If I have something to write about then we still have much to overcome.

Take a look at the headlines. It doesn’t matter which media outlet you elect to check, heck check them all if you want. Before you do, let me set the stage.

This week in the US we will celebrate Thanksgiving. Our holiday is a celebration and commemoration of the pilgrims’ arrival in America and the beginning of European and African dominance of the northern half of the continent. As an aside I have to wonder how Native Americans view our holiday.

Now, check the headlines. Let’s see. I find Raiders Nation feuding with the President over the Mexico National Anthem, the Ball family feuding with the President over the theft of sunglasses, a federal judge in California feuding with the President over entitled cities rejecting the rule of law, North Korea feuding with the President over their right to destroy the world with nuclear weapons, hmm. Oh wait! There’s an article about Thanksgiving.

No, never mind. That one’s about Christmas shopping hours on Thursday.

So here’s the thing. Not everyone celebrates the holiday the same. I mean, some people don’t have much to be thankful for. I know people who have lost loved ones recently and others who are in a state of perpetual holiday darkness, having lost a close loved one during the holidays. Still others are self-made men and women so who do they thank, themselves?

How about a gracious God.

God reminds us in 1st Thessalonians to give thanks in all things and at all times, because that’s God’s will for your life. – Wow, seriously! There’s a verse in the Bible that clearly says ‘that’s God’s will’?

“Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:17-18, NIV)

That seems easy, right? Well apparently not. I’ll admit there are times I’m not “in the mood” to be thankful. I mean, when I’ve just been ranked lower than I expected during my annual performance evaluation – not feeling thankful. When I’ve just lost a big game – not feeling thankful. When I’ve lost a loved one – not feeling thankful. When I get the doctor’s bill that I can’t pay – not feeling particularly thankful.

Still, God says to be thankful in “all circumstances.” Why? Why is it so important to be thankful always?

Because regardless of how bad your day is going, how bad the news you receive, or how bad the headlines, God is. (Oh, and your first sin ever was enough to win you a trip to hell, so there is that too.)

God is. He is faithful (1 Cor 1:9). He is good (Psalm 136:1). He is always present (Psalm 46:1) and He has only the best intentions for you, the sinner saved by grace.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8, NIV)

So if you find yourself without much hope and struggling to be any sort of thankful during the holiday season, just remember – God is. You still may not feel very thankful, but you’ll be surprised how helpful He can be in any time of trouble. Coming from someone who lost a parent during the Christmas holiday, I can tell you there is always a silver lining. You just may have to work to find it.

Happy Thanksgiving.