Turning Thanksgiving into Thanks-living

by Laura McCorkle

When I was younger, Thanksgiving was pretty much just a holiday -- a day when I got to eat a whole lot of good food and nibble on all the sugary stuff I wanted. In fact, one year it only took my sister and me two forks and about 30 minutes to finish off the rest of the pecan pie, while everyone else was either glued to the football game or snoring in a recliner. We had no regrets, and I'm still thinking it was one of our tastier Thanksgivings. ...

But besides being a holiday when I had permission to indulge, thanksgiving was also a word my grandfather always incorporated at the end of his prayers: "And with thanksgiving, in Jesus' name, Amen." I always wondered why he used a word that made me think of cornucopias and construction-paper turkeys; but he was the Bible scholar in our family, and I was not. So I knew he must have had a good reason.

Years later, I think I now understand. In that one word, he was saying "Thank You for giving." You, being God. From my grandfather's example, I see that thanksgiving was more than a one-day family gathering. It was and is a way of living, a daily act of expressing gratitude to our Maker who first gave to us.

At this time of year, I sit and think about when I last thanked God for giving me anything -- let alone His son, Jesus Christ. I'm ashamed to admit that I don't remember. But I know that I want to make such gratefulness as prominent as the giant turkey on the table and see thanksgiving become a way of life.

finish the article here Turning Thanksgiving into Thanks-living