THANKSGIVING

As the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina arrived, many people used the opportunity to rehash the Bush administration's failure to deal with the disaster in a timely manner. The anniversary meant something different to Rockey Vaccarella from St. Bernard Parish Louisiana. Vaccarella, who lost his home in Hurricane Katrina, towed his FEMA trailer all the way to Washington DC to personally thank President Bush.

Vaccarella said he did not want the government to forget that the job along the Gulf Coast was not complete. Speaking to a reporter about his visit to the White House, Vaccarella called the President a "people person" and said, "I wanted to thank President Bush for the millions of FEMA trailers that were brought down there. They gave us roofs over people's heads. People had a chance to have baths, air conditioning. We have TV, we have toiletry—we have things and necessities that we can live upon."

—http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200608/NAT20060823a.html. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

As we remember the devastation of Katrina along the Gulf Coast, let's not forget we have a lot to be thankful for too!

Luke 17:15-17 (CEV) "When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. [16] He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria. [17] Jesus asked, "Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine?"

During the Thanksgiving season of 2004, Americans had an extra reason to be thankful. The annual survey of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner conducted by the American Farm Bureau found that the average cost of an American Thanksgiving feast for 10 people was less expensive than previous years.

The Bureau estimated the cost of a traditional feast at $35.68, which was 60 cents lower than the previous year. The farm group's shopping list including stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, rolls with butter and the turkey. The turkey made the biggest difference. The average price of a 16-pound turkey was $14.23, about 89 cents less per pound than the last year.

Volunteer shoppers from 30 states conducted the survey for the Farm Bureau. 2004 marked the first year in the past 18 years that the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner had decreased. Senior Economist with the Bureau Terry Franci said, "Americans can enjoy a tradition meal for just $3.57 per person. That's something worthy of thanks."

—Reuters, Something to Be Thankful For, November 19, 2004. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

A sixty-cent difference may be small, but true thanksgiving means thanking God for both the large and small blessings He provides.

Ephes. 5:20 (NASB) "always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;"

"If you had the power to recreate yourself, what would you leave unchanged?" The question silenced the other conversations within our small group. Everybody quietly considered the possibilities for a moment. Finally, Tom a former alcoholic spoke. ""The thing I would leave unchanged is my relationship with Jesus," he said thoughtfully. "If I changed everything else, it might mean I never met Jesus. I don't want to take that chance." One by one the other members of the group agreed. The one thing we would not change showed us what we were most thankful for. Each member of the group could thank the Lord for houses, cars, and plenty of food. We could thank God for spouses and the love of family. Given the opportunity to keep one thing, we choose to hang on to Jesus.

In this season of Thanksgiving, we will focus on many good things to be thankful for. Don't forget God's greatest gift, the gift of His Son, Jesus. The Apostle Paul commended the church at Corinth for their generosity which caused the overflowing of thanks to the Lord. Then he added, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Every year, hundreds of letters arrive at the Jerusalem Post Office addressed to God. The majority of the letters are addressed to “God, Jerusalem, Israel,” or “ God, the Wailing Wall.” Either address directs the letter to the sorting room of the Israeli post office’s Dead Letters department. The postmen in that department ensure that every piece of mail addressed to God reaches its destination, the Jewish holy site known as the Western Wall, where Jews traditionally place their prayer requests.

The letter are collected, placed in a velvet bag, and then posted to God through cracks in the Western wall. Deliveries to the wall began several years ago when postmen decided that since there was no way to return the letters to the unknown senders, they might as well deliver them to the recipient, God. Yitzhak Rabihiya, spokesman for the Israeli postal department says, “Some people go to a shrink or a Rabbi and others write it down, put it in an envelope, slap on a stamp, and write ‘To God, Jerusalem, Israel.’”

The prayer letters request many things from God. Some seek forgiveness of sins, while other seek jobs, or seek help with personal problems. Rabihiya remembers a letter in which the author listed so many problems that postal workers took a collection and sent the man $1,000 of the $1,200 he requested from the Almighty.

Two months later postal workers noticed another letter from the same man written to God. They thought he was probably sending his thanks. At the end of the letter, the man wrote, “Thank you for the money, but please next time don’t send it through the postal service. Those thieves stole 700 shekels.”

—Reuters, Thursday, October 06, 2003. Delivering Letters to God, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Instead of being grateful to God for what we have, it is easy to complain about what we don’t have.

Psalm 50:14 KJV “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:”

In the cover story of Time Magazine's Thanksgiving edition, Nancy Gibbs says Americans will reflect on what has been taken away and what can be salvaged as we sit down to our Thanksgiving meals. She writes, "This is the kind of holiday we need right now, an intrinsically complicated one that comes at the end of a bitter harvest and yet finds something sweet to celebrate."

A Time/CNN poll suggests 75% of Americans say they will be more appreciative this year than previous Thanksgivings. Many will use the time around the table to rebuild relationships damaged by disagreements and disappointment. Others will use the holiday to reflect on the goodness of a God they previously doubted. The context of this Thanksgiving may be sorrow and fear, yet it is marked by renewed hope and greater resolve.

In many ways, America's thanksgiving reflects the words of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. Though he lived in perilous times, and feared the future, the prophet thanked God. He realized true thanksgiving finds its roots in the God of Heaven rather than His many gifts. Habakkuk wrote: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:17-18.

— www.time.com/time/covers We Gather Together—Thanksgiving in the Post 9-11 World. November 12, 2001. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Thanksgiving came early in 2003 to residents of Southern California affected by the recent wildfires. Leaders of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians decided to go above and beyond their usually holiday donation due to the year's unusual circumstances.

For the past decade the Morongo tribe has provided turkeys at Thanksgiving to needy families throughout California. Their yearly gifts have traditionally been one of the largest in the state. Last year the tribe delivered 1,300 turkeys to residents of Riverside County, and 2,000 more in other parts of the state which enabled thousands of Thanksgiving meals to be served to the state's needy.

Recent wildfires gave the tribe an opportunity to deliver thousands of hot turkey meals to evacuees at one of the shelters in the region. They also announced that the tribe planned to give $1 million dollars to support ongoing relief efforts. This year's gift is the largest in the tribe's history.

Tribal Chairman Maurice Lyons told families driven from their homes by the fires, "We come here today as volunteers and neighbors. Indian people know what it means to lose one's home. Sharing this gift of food, from our Indian family to yours is part of our tradition, extending back to the first Thanksgiving."

Riverside County Supervisor Marlon Ashley noted that the early Thanksgiving was taking place at a time when the fires were subsiding. He said, "Everyone in Southern California has suffered a terrible ordeal. As we share this food, we should be mindful of all that has been lost, but grateful too that the danger seems to have passed. The process of rebuilding can now begin."

—http://prnewswire.com, Morongo Tribe brings Thanksgiving Early for California Evacuees, November 3, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

2 Corinthians 9:12 NIV "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."

Sometimes, our burdens become our blessings. In his book Future Church: Ministry in a Post-Seeker Age, Jim Wilson writes about how having cancer and losing his voice is something he’s now grateful for. “Today, if God said to me, ‘I'll give you that year back. You can go back to a cancer-free state, you can relive the year with your voice and without cancer, but you'll never know the loyalty you experienced from a church that stood beside you, or the love that you came to know from your bride who lived her wedding vows, 'in sickness and in health' before you, and you will never know that your brokenness is covered with My grace.’ I'd say, ‘No thank you. I'll keep the cancer.’

Gratitude isn’t the byproduct of a Pollyanna existence—it is what happens to us once we’ve sunk our teeth deeply into life and tasted the bitter along with the sweet; the rotten and the ripe. We have an attitude of gratitude when we jettison our provincial preoccupation with ourselves and stop living life with a sense of entitlement—a conviction that God owes us something.

1 Thes. 5:18 NASB “in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Some doctors think they have found a way to improve your health. This new treatment will lower your blood pressure, help you feel less hostile, help you to quit smoking, and even to lose weight. You can lower your risk of depression, phobias, bulimia, and alcoholism.

Several recent studies have pointed out the benefits of regular thanksgiving. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California-Davis says that practicing gratitude is like exercising. “Use it, and you won’t lose it, even when times are tough.”

--Painter, Kim, Stepping up the gratitude, USA Today, November 24, 2008, p. 6D Illustration by Jim L Wilson and Rodger Russell

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB77) “in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

On Thanksgiving Day 2007, Monique White lived in a hotel and spent her time searching for a job. Things were different in 2008, she had a job and a home, but she still wasn’t satisfied. Remembering the sights, sounds, and feelings of busy Thanksgivings of her childhood made her long for a family gathering around the table, but her two sons were going to their father’s house for the holiday so she posted a two-sentence invitation on Craigslist, a Internet Classified site a week before Thanksgiving 2008

White hoped four or five people might respond and share Thanksgiving Dinner with her and her husband Doug. 32 people joined the Whites for a traditional Thanksgiving meal consisting of 9 turkeys, four hams, 16 boxes of stuffing, and a dozen pies. The Whites say they are blessed, because both of them are working now and they purchased their own home. Sharing Thanksgiving dinner with so many was the White’s way of giving thanks for their changed lives.

--Woman’s Craigslist offer ensures plenty at table, http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=227903, November 26, 2008, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Corinthians 4:15 (CEV) “All of this has been done for you, so that more and more people will know how kind God is and will praise and honor him.”

Perhaps one reason it is God’s will for us to be thankful is that it is good for us. Recent studies have again shown that being thankful can improve your life.

At the University of California, Davis, Professor Robert Emmons said “those who offer gratitude are less envious and resentful. They sleep longer, exercise more and report a drop in blood pressure.” Emmons is the author of the book, "Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier" and an earlier book that describes gratitude as a “new science.”

Brenda Shoshanna is a New York psychologist who agrees. "You can't be depressed and grateful at the same time," said Shoshanna, the author of "365 Ways to Give Thanks: One for Every Day of the Year." ''It makes a person physically, mentally, in every way healthier."

--http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/sns-ap-us-science-of-gratitude,0,916730.story (accessed 11/28/09) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB) “in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

John Kralik’s life was falling to apart. It didn’t turn around until he learned to be grateful for what he had. He decided to write a thank-you note every day. He wrote them to relatives, a colleague, the barista at Starbucks, to whomever he could think of.
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Kralik said the simple act of writing the notes changed his life. He told of his experience in a book, 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life.

--USA Today, Dec. 8, 2010, p. D1 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Ephesians 5:20 (NIV) “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Traditionally, Thanksgiving Day in America is relatively untouched by commercialism. There are no cards or gifts, it is a time for family, friends, reflection, and a meal based on 400-year-old traditions. This year as Americans enjoy the family based holiday, the nation’s biggest retailers have announced they will open their doors earlier than ever before to attract holiday shoppers to their establishments. The world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart announced that they will open their doors at 10 PM Thanksgiving night offering special deals on toys and clothing, and then following those with other bargains in the early morning hours of the following day.

Other retailers followed, announcing they will open the doors at midnight, in an attempt to maximize sales on Black Friday, the day store’s books are supposed to turn from a deficit to profitability. The plans are generating mixed emotions. Traditionalists are already saying they will not go out and shop on a revered holiday. They claim the stores are replacing stuffing with stuff. Others, including the retailers argue that opening the stores to shopping earlier puts more money in circulation in the economy, drives demand for goods and services, and creates jobs. Whether the importance of giving thanks or holiday shopping ultimately wins out, figures indicate shopping is important. Consumer spending accounted for 70 per cent of the nations GDP, with holiday sales totaling more than $450 billion last year.

--Wal-Mart steals Thanksgiving, http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wal-mart-steals-thanksgiving-2011-11-10; November, 10 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.
The key to this season is not just giving thanks for what we have, but giving thanks to the One who gives us all good things.

Psalm 95:1-2 (GW) “Come, let's sing joyfully to the LORD. Let's shout happily to the rock of our salvation. (2) Let's come into his presence with a song of thanksgiving. Let's shout happily to him with psalms.”

Mindy Belz, writing in World Magazine says “Our present day ingratitude may have taken root during the 1950s, when we thanked ourselves for our new prosperity instead of God.”

Somewhere along the way, our National day of Thanksgiving has changed. History teaches that we find Thanksgivings beginnings in the many hardships of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. The first thanksgiving proclamation was by George Washington to the colonists during the revolutionary war. It became a national holiday during the bloody days of the Civil War when Abraham Lincoln called the nation to a day of prayer and Thanksgiving.

Today we set aside a day to primarily give thanks for all our prosperity. It has lost some of its power. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Sport commentator Bob Costas made fun of a Chicago Cubs pitcher on a MLB Network telecast for pointing to the sky after a bad outing on the mound. The pitcher, Pedro Strop, explained to Costas that he “thanks God for the opportunity and it has nothing to do with how well he performs.”

That is the command we have from scripture. Give thanks in everything. You don’t thank God for the bad performance, but you do thank God in the midst of the performance. Bob Costas apologized for making fun. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) (18) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

In THANKS! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. writes, "I think about those courageous individuals who left Plymouth and sailed to Holland and then crossed the Atlantic to New England in 1620. All but three families dug graves in the rocky soil of New England to bury a husband, wife, or child. They had brought plants and seeds with them on the Mayflower, along with provisions for the first winter. The barley they planted did very poorly. Other crops failed altogether. Starvation loomed large. These were, though, people of faith. They knew about ancient Israel's harvest festival: how Israel, at the end of a successful harvest, thanked God for the bounty of creation and also for delivering them from their captivity, giving them their freedom as a people. The Pilgrims read their own story in light of Israel's story. God is thanked for the harvest but also for something more, something not actually dependent on a successful harvest: namely, God's presence and grace and love. The Pilgrims thanked God for enough corn to survive the winter, but they were also thanking God for the guiding presence they had experienced, the strong hand they Like Job, had felt leading them, and the love that had sustained them. They understood that God is to be thanked and praised in adversity as well as in prosperity." —Jim L. Wilson

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (HCSB)“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Robert Emmons, author of “The Little Book of Gratitude,” was asked in an email interview to respond to a the question, “How do you personally practice gratitude?” Emmons said, “The best way I practice gratitude is to continually think about those people who have done things for me that I could never do for myself. Who is looking out for me, who has me back, who has made my life easier because of their sacrifices?”—Jim L. Wilson and Jake Davidson

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/11/24/the-science-behind-why-you-shouldnt-stop-giving-thanks-after-thanksgiving/?noredirect=on

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CSB) “give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Jamie Ducharme has compiled an impressive list of the benefits of being grateful from a series of scientific journals. According to these studies gratitude can: increase your patience, improve relationships, increase your carrying out of “healthy living,” help your sleep, prevent you from eating too much, ease depression, and provide a happier “frame of mind.” —Jim L. Wilson and Eric Espinoza

These studies have only confirmed that God wants what is best for us. He designed us; of course he knows what is best for us. If we trust in God and obey his commands he will take care of the rest.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (CSB)¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray constantly, ¹⁸ give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

When I heard about the horrible fires ripping through a small Northern California town of Paradise, it made my heart ache for the loss that was happening there. As I searched social media for people that I might be able to help, I came across this public post:

"We are safely evacuated but...we just heard on the news that our entire city has been “wiped out.” I’m 6.5 months pregnant and materially we have only the clothes on our back, both cars, and each other. We have our faith, true love & a happy marriage, a growing life inside me, family, friends, our amazing church, and wonderful employers. Please be praying for those who have lost even more than we have today."

Cox’s ability to see what God has provided her, not what she has lost, is a perspective that we can learn from. —Jim L. Wilson and Tim Fouse-Clark

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CSB)“give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

In You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times, Max Lucado writes, “Not often do you see the words betrayed and thanks in the same sentence, much less in the same heart. Jesus and the disciples were in the Upper Room. Sly Judas sat in the corner. Impetuous Peter sat at the table. One would soon betray Jesus; the other would soon curse him. Jesus knew this, yet on the night he was betrayed, he gave thanks. In the midst of the darkest night of the human soul, Jesus found a way to give thanks. Anyone can thank God for the light. Jesus teaches us to thank God for the night.”

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you.