The Scripture ~And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God. Colossians 3:17
The Spiritual Focus ~ “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Breath Prayer`~ Inhale: Thanks, Exhale: for giving
The Devotion ~ Thanksgiving has its roots in a religious celebration that gives thanks for the harvest. It was a tradition carried over from England, dating as far back as the Protestant reformation. Over the years it has become a secular tradition that signals a time to get together with family and friends around a meal. Pausing to express gratitude and give thanks is still part of the Thanksgiving tradition for many, but the opportunity to do so extends beyond the limits of one day and one meal. The opportunity to express gratitude and give thanks is a practice available to all of us every day and everywhere. Perhaps, we are all expressing gratitude and giving thanks without realizing it.
SO…
Thanks for Giving ~ a smile to someone who needs one.
Thanks for Giving ~ your parking spot to someone who needs it.
Thanks for Giving ~ financially to organizations that do good work.
Thanks for ~ seeing someone nobody else sees.
Thanks for Giving ~ yourself time to be aware of God’s love and presence.
Thanks for ~ loving the unlovable.
Thanks for ~ loving yourself.
Thanks for Giving ~ your ear to listen without giving an unsolicited opinion.
Thanks for Giving ~ (fill in the blank).
Thanks for ~ (fill in the blank).
These opportunities to express gratitude and to give thanks are before us every day, as are the opportunities to receive gratitude and thanks. The mutual exchange of gratitude and thanks in our human relationships informs us in how we participate with gratitude and thanks in our relationship with God. The practice of giving thanks is a practice of expressing gratitude and thanks even when we don’t feel like it. It is a practice of words that match deeds that we are called to live by.
Happy Thanksgiving!
