How wonderful that we, as Americans, have set aside a day specifically to give thanks. We have so much to be grateful for, and yet we rarely see a thankful attitude in our daily lives.
Psalm 100, verse 4 says, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." Christians are called in Colossians 3:17 "... whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" and in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (all verses NKJV)
So, on this day of Thanksgiving I offer my thanks first and foremost to my Lord and Savior for all the blessings He has so generously given me. He has blessed me with the mercy of His salvation and the promise of His presence forever. He has blessed me far beyond my needs, and has done so out of the abundance of His mercy and grace. He has proven Himself over and over in my life, and so I bow in gratitude and adoration to the God of all creation, who is merciful and all-knowing, whose love endures forever, who is patient and longsuffering, and who desires all to come to repentance through His beloved Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Father, I am thankful for my family (husband, child, parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, cousins). I am thankful for our health, physical and mental. I am thankful for a house to live in, food on the table, and a reliable car. I am thankful for good friends and neighbors who encourage me. I am thankful for financial stability, and the opportunity to nurture my family at home. I am thankful for the work You have provided to each of us according to our needs.
I am thankful for a husband who loves me and our child. I am thankful for his humor, his patience, and his care of us. I am thankful for his leadership and his support. I am thankful for his work which interests and challenges him. I am thankful for all the things he knows and is able to do to help me. I am thankful for his courtesy and his dedication to our relationship. Most of all, I am thankful for how much he loves me, and how he shows it to me every day.
I am thankful for my child, who is bright, funny, and good-natured. I am thankful for her love of her parents, and her opinion that we're fun to be around. I am thankful that she loves snuggles, and adores tickle fights. I am thankful that she understands the necessity of discipline and knows that we do it out of love.
I am thankful for my child's school and for her teachers. I am thankful for the support staff of administration, food service, and maintenance. I am grateful that the whole team comes together to help nurture and educate my child so that she grows up to be a mature, well-balanced citizen. I am grateful that prayer and hugs are standard fare at her school, and that they are bestowed with a godly love which provides a wonderful example to follow.
I am grateful for a biblical church which teaches Your Word with no apologies. I am thankful that my church is involved with reaching out and helping people. I am thankful for our partnership with crisis pregnancy centers, recovery ministries, and community services. I am thankful for our bold leaders who train our congregation to worship God in every aspect of our lives: family, work, community, and church.
I am thankful for the protection You have given us from additional terrorist attacks, and from everyday accidents. I am thankful for the men and women in our Armed Forces who sacrifice daily to protect this great country. I am thankful that this country still stands for freedom. I am thankful that our President trusts You to guide him. I am thankful that You have blessed him with strength and courage, as well as a loving and supportive family.
I am thankful for the resources You have given this country. We are blessed with a vast territory, full of fertility, wealth, and beauty. From sea to shining sea, we stand in awe at the variety and diversity of this land and its people. We have people whose ancestors have lived here for millennia, people who can trace their roots to the American Revolution, and people who just became citizens this week. I am thankful for the vision of unity out of plurality. I am thankful for the freedom to worship - or not - according to my convictions and conscience.
I am thankful to have a say over who will lead this country, my state, and my local community. I am thankful that I may state my views without worrying about a knock on the door in the middle of the night. I am thankful for the right to protect my family and my property with a gun if necessary. I am thankful for the right of being assumed innocent until proven guilty. I am thankful for the right of a trial before my peers. I am thankful for men of old who knew Your Word and did their best to model the laws of this country on the Bible's wisdom.
I am thankful for so many things that I cannot begin to list here, but I will close with this:
I thank the families who have loaned this country their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and fathers and mothers. They are the best America could ever give the world because of your support and love. You are the ones who taught them words like honor, duty, loyalty, faithfulness, courage, and dedication. This country's freedom cannot long survive without their service and example.
To the families whose loved ones have been killed in action or who are still missing or who were maimed, I send my prayers and even more profound thanks. I share a small part of your grief at the death or wounding of your loved one. I am sure that nothing I could possibly say could ease your grief or take away the hard road ahead. But I promise, I will never forget that sacrifice. I will not permit my child to forget it. I will pass on the rich and honorable heritage written in these men and women as an example of the true sprit of America:
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. (John 15:13, NKJV)
Thank you.
