Thanksgiving or Thanks-Giving?
First off let me say, "Happy Thanksgiving!" with true holiday spirit. I have celebrated this holiday with my family since childhood and have great memories of the joy that specific family time brought. As I get older and have a growing family of my own, I think deeper about certain things that I have taken for granted in the past. I was taught that Thanksgiving was a celebration where people gather together and give thanks for things such as family, friends and provisions. Later I learned that this thankfulness should not only take place on Thanksgiving but everyday of the year as Christians should live with a spirit of thanks at all times. Both of these ideas are very easy to agree with, however this year I am taking it a step further by looking at the words that make up the word Thanksgiving.
Thanks –verb (used with object) to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to.
Giving –verb (used with object)
1. to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow
2. to hand to someone
3. to place in someone's care
4. to grant (permission, opportunity, etc.) to someone
5. to impart or communicate
So many times Thanksgiving is defined as "giving thanks" which is a true but incomplete definition. It is also simply saying Thanksgiving backwards. This holiday if we take the words in their forward position, I submit to you that the holiday could very well be call "Thanks-by-giving". In the same way that a child shows his appreciation for a gift by taking extra care of it and a wife feels appreciated by her husband's gesture to help with the laundry, true thanks is shown through the effort it takes to give. A simple example of this is the focus that Aubin and I have put on teaching our oldest son to give this season. Today mommy and sons will get in the car and help deliver meals to people that have nothing for Thanksgiving. Sure that sounds simple but when we told our son, his initial human response was "Do I get something too?" followed by a small fit because we told him "No."
So let me offer a few suggestions to my readers and to myself with regards to thanks and giving this year.
Thanks:
1. Food,family and friends are easy. This year try giving thanks for the hard times that shaped who you are.
2. Jobs, housing and financial security are a little harder in this economy, however this year try giving thanks for peace, grace and perseverance that has made our faith complete and mature. James 1:2-4
3. Blessing that we can see are assumed. This year try giving thanks for breath, mercy and true life through the death of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Giving:
1. Gift Cards and Hallmarks are easy. This year try to give the gift of service in the home where there will be a lot of hands needed. (Men, this means us! If the women kick you out of the kitchen when you offer to help with dishes or trash then you are free to watch the game, but they usually never kick us out because we never offer.)
2. Smiles and hugs can be taken for granted. This year try to give forgiveness to the family member you are at odds with whether they give forgiveness back or not. (1. to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow.)
3. Toys and food are easy. This year if you are a parent, try to give the gift of time to your kids. This may mean rolling around in the leaves outside or sitting down and telling your kids face to face how thankful you are that God gave them to you and how much of a blessing they are in your life.
Wow! I wonder how many of these I will be able to hold to. Stay tuned for a report and I pray that all of you my friends will have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks –verb (used with object) to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to.
Giving –verb (used with object)
1. to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow
2. to hand to someone
3. to place in someone's care
4. to grant (permission, opportunity, etc.) to someone
5. to impart or communicate
So many times Thanksgiving is defined as "giving thanks" which is a true but incomplete definition. It is also simply saying Thanksgiving backwards. This holiday if we take the words in their forward position, I submit to you that the holiday could very well be call "Thanks-by-giving". In the same way that a child shows his appreciation for a gift by taking extra care of it and a wife feels appreciated by her husband's gesture to help with the laundry, true thanks is shown through the effort it takes to give. A simple example of this is the focus that Aubin and I have put on teaching our oldest son to give this season. Today mommy and sons will get in the car and help deliver meals to people that have nothing for Thanksgiving. Sure that sounds simple but when we told our son, his initial human response was "Do I get something too?" followed by a small fit because we told him "No."
So let me offer a few suggestions to my readers and to myself with regards to thanks and giving this year.
Thanks:
1. Food,family and friends are easy. This year try giving thanks for the hard times that shaped who you are.
2. Jobs, housing and financial security are a little harder in this economy, however this year try giving thanks for peace, grace and perseverance that has made our faith complete and mature. James 1:2-4
3. Blessing that we can see are assumed. This year try giving thanks for breath, mercy and true life through the death of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Giving:
1. Gift Cards and Hallmarks are easy. This year try to give the gift of service in the home where there will be a lot of hands needed. (Men, this means us! If the women kick you out of the kitchen when you offer to help with dishes or trash then you are free to watch the game, but they usually never kick us out because we never offer.)
2. Smiles and hugs can be taken for granted. This year try to give forgiveness to the family member you are at odds with whether they give forgiveness back or not. (1. to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow.)
3. Toys and food are easy. This year if you are a parent, try to give the gift of time to your kids. This may mean rolling around in the leaves outside or sitting down and telling your kids face to face how thankful you are that God gave them to you and how much of a blessing they are in your life.
Wow! I wonder how many of these I will be able to hold to. Stay tuned for a report and I pray that all of you my friends will have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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