This week, most of us will gather with families, relatives and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. We will have a lavish dinner with roasted turkey, fried chicken instead if you don’t like turkey like I don’t, pies, and a just little bit of fruits and vegetables (I don’t like too much fruits and vegetables…). You will enjoy a great meal with people that you want be with and spend intimate time of fellowship with lots of laughing and fun in your cozy and warm home. For those family members, relatives and friends who haven’t seen each other for some time, this is a wonderful time to catch up on lost time and reconnect with each other.
What does Thanksgiving Day mean to you? How are you planning on spending your Thanksgiving Day? The true meaning of Thanksgiving Day has certainly changed over the years as people enjoy more prosperity and comfort. The entire Thanksgiving Day is filled with having good times, such as watching football games and shopping for bargains more than ever before. Some stores will be opening at 6:00 am on Thanksgiving Day to lure people into a buying spree.
Nothing is wrong with finding great bargains and watching football games. However, when it comes to Thanksgiving Day, this is only one day out of the year that families, distant relatives and old friends can come together to share meals and spend meaningful time together. Are we going to let great bargain shopping invade into our Thanksgiving Day and take away the time we can spend more meaningfully? It seems that slowly a careless and a thoughtless lifestyle is stripping away the true value and meaning from Thanksgiving Day.
Of course, thanksgiving should not be limited to one day a year, and it should be a daily occurrence. But especially on Thanksgiving Day, let us not forget to give thanks to God who is always so generous and full of love, and make God be the center of our gathering. We are too often focusing on ourselves on Thanksgiving Day rather than focusing on how blessed we are for having our God who loves us unconditionally and provides us abundantly with all good things.
This year, many people who are affected by the Super Typhoon Haiyan in Leyte and Samar, Philippines will face a very sad and grim Thanksgiving Day. It is reported that about 5,600 people have died or are missing after Haiyan tore a path of destruction across the country, and many of them lost their loved ones and countless of people lost all of their belongings and homes. The devastation is really horrific, and it’s a great human tragedy. We all need to keep them in our prayers for God’s comfort, provision and speedy recovery, and they also need more than a prayer. James 2:15-17 says, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed.” But does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” So let us not only keep them in our prayers, but also we need to share what we have with them and give our helping hands to meet their needs.
I pray that all of you would have a great Thanksgiving gathering with your families, relatives and friends, and enjoy delicious meals and spend intimate time together.
Have a wonderful and a happy Thanksgiving!
From Pastor Neil’s Heart
November 24, 2013