By Ashley McIlwain

As with many holidays and special occasions, Thanksgiving will likely come with the usual hustle and bustle in tow. Before we know it, it will be a thing of the past, and we may have missed out on the opportunity the day presents.

Thanksgiving is defined by Miriam Webster as the act of giving thanks; a prayer expressing gratitude; a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness. Oftentimes we casually think about this holiday of feasting as a time to be thankful, but we don’t take the time to actually be thankful. To ponder all the blessings in our life. To realize how good we have it. To have a grateful heart.

This turkey-filled day is rooted in the concept of gratitude.  In 1620, a group of people departed England in search of a place where they could practice their faith freely and find a better life. Enduring a long and treacherous journey across sea, a brutal winter, serious diseases, malnutrition, sickness, and death among other obstacles, this group had faced extreme lows in their lives. Yet, they found help from an unlikely source, a Native American, who taught them many survival techniques. All of this culminated into a harvest-time feast that celebrated and thanked God for His provisions and goodness.

As I think about what the Pilgrims had gone through, I can only imagine the extreme gratitude that must have existed in their spirits. To have overcome so many trials and tragedies, they had to have been beyond thankful just to be alive. Nothing was taken for granted, which is something I believe many of us could benefit from thinking about.

We have so much. We’ve truly been blessed beyond belief in so many ways, and yet, we take that for granted. Oftentimes we focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do have. We complain about trivial things when we have so much to be thankful for.

The Bible is full of verses instructed us of the importance of thanksgiving. Here are a few of my favorites:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. ~Psalm 100:4

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. ~1 Chronicles 16:34

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. ~Psalm 28:7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ~ Philippians 4:6

It is clear that an attitude of gratitude is part of God’s plan for our lives. It lifts us up as well as others, and yet, we forget how powerful it can be. This Thanksgiving is the perfect time to pause and give ourselves the opportunity to not only acknowledge our blessings but to express our gratitude for them.

God

Personally, I think it’s easy to overlook the simple fact that “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). God provides us with all that we have. From the very beginning God has loved us, blessed us, and given us all that we need to fulfill His purpose. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

It’s common to think we are in control of our lives. We earn the money to supply our needs. We are so clever that we got that job. We are so amazing, we snagged an amazing spouse. The truth is that God gave us the unique talents and abilities that we possess. He placed us in the position He desired for us. He gave us the spouse and family He knew we needed. God is in control, and He is a great God whose love never fails (Psalm 136:1). It’s a relief to know that we don’t have to take the reins because God is the one steering us through life as we, in faith, move toward accomplishing that which He has called us to. So, we should take time to thank our Creator, Savior, and Heavenly Father for His incredible goodness. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done” (Philippians 4:6).

Spouse

How easy it can be to take for granted the blessing we have in our spouse. We allow the daily grind to suck the joy and gratitude right out of our marriage. Instead of recognizing and savoring the strengths our spouse possesses, we focus on what they are lacking. We complain about what he or she isn’t, what he or she didn’t do, along with a plethora of other negative spewing. But have we forgotten that we chose this person to spend the rest of our lives with? There was a reason we made that lifelong decision, and we need to remind ourselves of it and get back to possessing a heart of gratitude toward our spouse.

Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by all.” Yet, so many of us do anything but honor our own marriage let alone that of another. It’s time to get back to a posture of gratitude, reverence, respect, and love for not only our marriage but specifically our spouse. Take time to express your appreciation for all that your spouse does and all that he/she is as a person. Make a point of minimizing criticism and increasing affirmation. Ponder upon the gift and blessing that your spouse is and allow that to guide how you treat him/her. Remind yourself that “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Solomon 6:3).

Family and Friends

If you are at all like me, your family is your foundation. Good and bad, my family has played a huge role in who I am today. Through thick and thin, they have been by my side encouraging me, praying for me, supporting, and loving me. I have been blessed with an incredible family, and it only got better when I married into another extraordinary family. Sometimes it slips my mind to let them know just how much I appreciate and value them. Each of them means more to me than I could ever express, and I truly thank God for them every day.

Recently I have discovered the value of friendship. Not that I didn’t have friends growing up, but in the last few years God has given my husband, Steve, and me an amazing set of friends. I’m not ignorant to the fact that true, quality friends are next to impossible to find. That’s not something that’s lost on me, so I do my best to make sure they know just how important they are to me.

Friends and family are usually the people that rally around us in tough times giving us the ability to move forward. They are also the ones who make us laugh while creating lasting memories. They encourage us, affirm us, and help keep us accountable. We can’t allow ourselves to forget just how precious they are. I love 1 Corinthians 1:4 because it sums it up so well, “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts He has given you.” Take time to share your gratitude to those who have most likely helped you get where you are today.

A heart of gratitude is the key to living a joyful and fulfilled life while blessing and encouraging others in their own journey. It makes the great days greater, and the rough days bearable. It gives hope, excitement, and enjoyment to ourselves and those around us. I would implore you to pause to recognize the blessings in your life, and then express your gratitude to God, your spouse, family, and friends.

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, – a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
~George Herbert

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