“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)
This is how the tension started. Two young girls, seven and nine years old were initially pleased that their mom was going to let them stay home while she went to the store to pick up everything she needed for Thanksgiving, but mom changed her mind and told them, “You two are coming with me.” Can you feel the tension? The mom did, but nevertheless, they were going. More tension arises in a subtle form, caused by the reality of our present times. You see, the mom had watched the news and had anxious concern about waiting too long to get what would be needed for the holiday meal. The girls protested having to accompany their mom because they were old enough to watch themselves. Long story short, as expected, the mom won that debate. From the parking lot to the store entry way and down every aisle where merchandise could be found, the girls tagged along. Mom was diligent and frugal in her shopping; comparing prices and contemplating about every purchasing choice. The girls were growing weary. It is better to say that the girls were getting stressed out. Their twisted faces told the story. Tension prevailed! They did not want to be there!
When the mom was through shopping and had paid for her purchases, she headed toward her car with a cart that was nearly overflowing. You would think the girls would have been happy that the excursion was over, but no, that was not the case. Their distressed faces could not be disguised. You would have thought they would be smiling, knowing they would have a holiday meal with all the fixings and the trimmings. But there were no smiles. Perhaps they should be made to watch “Good Times” daily or listen to their grandpa talk about old times more so they would let gratitude overcome their grumpiness and get rid of the tension.
Time had passed from the moment they entered the store, but their facial expression were frozen in time. Their unspoken feelings were unchanged. They did not want to be there.
On the drive home, the mom says, “I think we forgot something.” One of the daughters, in dismay. expresses her disbelief, “I don’t think so.” The other daughter chimes in, making it sound like the girls are reading from a prepared script, “Yes, you brought something on every aisle, and you are not missing a thing.” The first daughter to speak continues, “You have the turkey, the ham, the potatoes, the vegetables, more than one dessert, rolls and more!” The second daughter takes her turn. I’m telling you that they seemed to have had a script and a couple of rehearsals. She says, “We are not missing a thing!”
Oh, oh! The mom pulls the car over and comes to a stop. She says, “Tis the season to be jolly! So why are you two behaving as ‘Tis the season to be tense?’ Let me tell you what we are missing since it is not obvious to you. We have all the food items for the Thanksgiving meal, but you two have the wrong attitude! Where is your thanks? You should be thankful that we were blessed enough money to buy food? You should be thankful that we have a car to carry the food home in! Why aren’t you thankful for the warm home we are returning to right now? Aren’t you thankful for me?” The girls, in tears, finally say in one voice, “We are sorry!” Mom does not let them off the hook! She gets in the last words, “Learn how to be thankful for everything the good Lord blesses you with! And listen, don’t focus so much on Thanksgiving that you forget to do some “thanks giving!”
Is there a lesson for us? Yes! Don’t let the tensions rise as we approach Thanksgiving Day! Start your “thanks giving” right now! Straighten up your face if required, shoo the tensions away, and shout out your thanks unto the Lord! You might as will start right now and lift your head to heaven and say, “Thank you Lord for all you’ve done for me!” Be blessed!
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” (Psalm 107 1:a NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King