This is Pastor Tim’s Article which appeared in the Evening Leader on Monday, Nov 22, 2021
So, what do you plan to do this Thursday? Watch the Detroit Lions play football? Gather with your family and have a big meal? Have some whipped cream with Pumpkin Pie (yes, that is what I meant to say). Plan your big shopping trip on Friday? I sincerely hope that you do every single one of those things. I want you to have a wonderful day on Thursday. But I have one more wish for you. I pray that you will enjoy the day.
I know, that seems like a pretty strange wish, but I mean it sincerely. I am afraid that too many people are going to fail in my seemingly simple request. Maybe I am a hypocrite for asking this of you because I am afraid that I won’t be able to do what I asked either.
No matter if you are someone I know or if you and I have never met, let’s make each other a promise right here right now. Let’s commit together that we are going to enjoy Thursday no matter what happens. No matter what Mother Nature does to us. No matter if that infamous family member is going to be there, you know who I am talking about, the one who gets on your nerves. Yes, that one. Even if they show up and start spouting politics, religion, or some other possibly day ruining oration, let’s commit that we will not be thrown off of our desire to enjoy the day.
Let’s also commit to leaving our normal life behind for a day. There is so much stress and other day ruining possibilities going on all over the place, let’s all commit to taking the day off from that. There is a lot of unhappiness in brokenness going on in the world today. I know that some of it follows us around, but let’s commit to minimizing it. No social media, no newsfeeds, no work calls, no taking advantage of the downtime to get ahead. Turkey and football will be enough. The world can live without us for one day.
I am afraid that too many people want to skip this particular coming Thursday because they are just not feeling it. It is just another Thursday anyway, right? Just because the NFL is on TV on a Thursday afternoon isn’t really that big of a deal is it? I haven’t watched an NFL game in literally years, so why would I care? And that big, stuffed Turkey? I’m a vegetarian, so who cares about that either? And with God as my witness, I would rather jump off the roof of my house than go Black Friday shopping. You guys have fun with that.
The world’s approach to this Thursday and how they feel about it is this: it is just another annoyance to deal with. I don’t want that to be you and I don’t want that to be me. I want you to embrace this Thursday for the day that it is. It has a name and I want you to say that name with me: Thanksgiving. This isn’t just any Thursday; this is the day we count our blessings. The food, family, and football are just icing on the already wonderful cake.
Which brings me back to my original question: what are you going to do on Thursday? Don’t leave it to chance because if you are hoping to wake up feeling thankful, your day may very well be awful. Thanksgiving is a choice, it is a conscious decision to step away from your normal life, no matter how good or bad it may be, to spend time and energy being thankful.
Thanksgiving is too important to leave it to chance. Make the choice today and spend the next few days preparing to make a stand for being thankful on Thursday. If you don’t make this decision, here is what will happen. You will eat too much, sit too much, withdrawal too much, and end the day by regretting the day that accomplished nothing. That doesn’t sound like anything worth being thankful about.
However, if you want Thursday to end differently, you will need to make that choice today.