Making Thanksgiving thankful again

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that, as a child, it was the last milepost before the Christmas season officially began. And there were the family gatherings, parades and football, of course.

Even as an adult, though, I have continued to hold Thanksgiving in high esteem, and not just for the food. I have seen it as an opportunity to truly turn folks’ hearts in the direction of giving thanks to God for all of His provision, of recognizing His providence in our lives.

I tried to highlight that last year at a family gathering by offering a pre-written prayer and distributing Randy Alcorn’s Heaven booklet to everyone present just before we sat down to eat. It didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I guess most people there were more hungry for food than for God.

My affection for Thanksgiving is shared by Adam Faughn, a writer for Christian Personal Finance and a minister in Nashville who says Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday. In this blog post, Adam offers five suggestions to prepare our hearts for the holiday:

1. Take stock of God’s blessings.
2. Remember your own weaknesses.
3. Consider what is invaluable.
4. Do something for someone else.
5. “Practice” Thanksgiving.

Head on over to the blog post for his elucidations on these ideas.