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Thanksgiving Demands Someone to Thank

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In these formerly United States, the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. People hitch the horses to the prairie schooners and travel to meet up with friends and family for a grand feast, often to watch The Big Game and a parade on television. These have been traditions for many years.

Some folks do not have friends and family that they can visit, none will not be coming over. Their traditions may not involve turkey and all those things. (Personally, I think you can make your own traditions and feast on algae soup if you want.) There is one thing that young or old, rich or poor should know.

People have their traditions on Thanksgiving in America, or start their own, but there is something extremely important that is often overlooked while enjoying their turkey.
Thanksgiving turkey, cropped, Pexels / Monstera
Think for a moment. Think about the word thanksgiving. The giving of thanks. To whom do you give it? Christians know right full well that we are giving thanks to our Creator and Redeemer, but secularists have tried to deny or redefine what this holiday is about. Don't let those sidewinders bushwhack the truth. Indeed, make a point of giving thanks and praise to God. Sadly, we may be flippant in our thankfulness in opulence, and others may be bitter in their poverty. There is something for which a person can be thankful. Find it and thank God with sincerity.
Gratitude confers many benefits, but only makes sense if there is someone to be thankful to.

[November 24, 2022] is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, one of the favorite holidays for many Americans. As preachers and teachers are prone to remind us, it’s not merely a day for feasting and football. What is the meaning and purpose of Thanksgiving? Why is a whole day set aside for it? What good does it do?

. . . As we have seen repeatedly, gratitude needs an object, otherwise it is selfishness masquerading as gratitude. The mere feeling of well-being is not gratitude. Behaving in a grateful way for personal health or happiness, or even to make a better world, misses the point. We need to face someone when saying, “Thank you.”

The object of gratitude might be a parent, teacher or friend, for specific acts of kindness enjoyed. But when feeling grateful for health, or for the beauty of nature, or for the joy of experiencing a multitude of human blessings, there’s only one qualified recipient: our Creator.

You can read all of this short article by riding over to "Thanksgiving Requires a Receiver." As a bonus, take a look at Cal Smith's message on Thanksgiving in Canada and see how many words can be swapped out and apply to America — or your own country if you're not from one of these two.