A Pause to Give Thanks

Forgetting to be Thankful:  a Pause to Praise

A change has subtly occurred in our culture  over the last few years.  Traditionally Christmas decorations and shopping  begin  on the infamous Friday after Thanksgiving, when the frenzy of festal buying can reach a fever pitch.  But I noticed this year Christmas music and decorations went right up after Halloween.  There was not even a pause given  for Thanksgiving.  Of course, Thanksgiving  doesn’t have quite the merchandising magnetism of Halloween or Christmas. Turkeys, pies and canned goods   don’t give a big economic up tick.  

Let’s pause instead in the midst of the mayhem and thank God for the blessings  He has given us. After all as the Psalmist said, “It is He who made us and not we ourselves.”

This attitude embodies the heart of our worship, it is proper. As we say in the Divine Liturgy, “Let us give thanks unto  the Lord...it is proper and right.” The attitude of thanksgiving is  gratitude for the grace given.  At the heart of this attitude  is the acknowledgement, “what do you have that you did not receive?  Now if you did receive it,  why do you boast as though  you  did not receive it?” (” (1 Cor.4:7) Everything is a gift from God, although He might use us as His instruments. 

This attitude is preparatory.  Thanksgiving prepares our heart to  receive God’s blessings. St.  John  tells us, “grace is given instead of grace “ (Jn.1:16) That is,  a life of gracious thanks  causes us to  give out of grace of  God’s bounty and fullness and ironically  brings more grace.  The greatest blessing we can then receive is God Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, who by our thanksgiving  we can  prepare our hearts to receive this Nativity season.