1. Thanksgiving and Family
The day before Thanksgiving an elderly man in Phoenix called his son in New York and said to him, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough. We're sick of each other, and so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."
Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone. "No they are NOT getting divorced," she shouted, "I'll take care of this."
She called Phoenix immediately, and said to her father. "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?"
The man hung up his phone and turned to his wife. "Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their flights."
2. Formal Times of Thanksgiving
George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation 3 OCT 1789; NY
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
I. The Aims of Gratitude
A. Subjects of Thanksgiving
1. People -- Romans 1.8; 1 Corinthians 1.4
2. Situations -- Romans 6.17
3. For serving saints -- 1 Thessalonians 2.13
"Saved to Serve" (not sit)
4. Victory -- 2 Corinthians 2.14
B. Spirit of Thanksgiving -- Philippians 4.6; 1 Thessalonians 5.18
C. Source of Thanksgiving -- GOD -- Romans 14.6; Colossians 3.16-17
A veteran missionary introduced himself to a preacher and said, "I was a medical missionary for many years in India. And I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with healthy vision, but there was something in that area that caused people to lose their sight as they grew older."
But this missionary had developed a treatment which would stop progressive blindness. So people came to him & he performed his treatment, & they would leave realizing that they would have become completely blind, but because of him their sight had been saved.
He said that they never said, "Thank you," because that phrase was not in their dialect. Instead, they spoke a word that meant, "I will tell your name." Wherever they went, they would tell the name of the missionary who had cured their blindness. They had received something so wonderful that they eagerly proclaimed it.
II. The Attitude of Gratitude
A. Removes Complaint and Misery
1. Relationship of complaint and gratitude
Dr. Dale Robbins writes, "I used to think people complained because they had a lot of problems. But I have come to realize that they have problems because they complain. Complaining doesn't change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord, and can invoke an invitation for the devil to cause havoc with our lives." Complaining makes us miserable. Psalm 77:3 says, "I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed."
2. Things that rob gratitude:
a. Pride -- I earned it all, no one ever helped me. . . .
b. Critical spirit and complaint
A lady known as an incurable grumbler constantly complained about everything. At last her preacher thought he had found something about which she would be happy, for her farm crop was the finest for miles around. When he met her, he said with a beaming smile, `You must be very happy Mary. Everyone is saying how healthy your potatoes look this year.' `True they're pretty good, but what am I going to do when I need bad ones to feed the pigs.
c. Carelessness -- Israel complaining about food and water after witnessing the great miracle of deliverance
B. Broadens Perspective -- Helps See the Big Picture
1. Deuteronomy 6.4ff -- Said EVERY day, not just good days
2. It involves EVERY circumstance
List of things for which we can be thankful (compiled by housewives):
* "For automatic dishwashers because they make it possible for us to get out of the kitchen before the family comes back in for their after dinner snacks.
* For husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house because they usually make them big enough to call in the professionals.
* "For children who put away their things & clean up after themselves. They're such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents
* "For teenagers because they give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.
* "For Smoke alarms because they let you know when the turkey's done.
1. Review
a. Make our Aim to be Thankful -- ALL year
1) For People
2) For Circumstances
3) Remembering the Giver of All things
b. Develop an Attitude of Thanks -- All Year
2. Kipling's Wisdom
Rudyard Kipling was a great writer and poet whose writings we have all enjoyed. Unlike many old writers, Kipling was one of the few who had opportunity to enjoy his success while he lived. He also made a great deal of money at his trade.
One time a newspaper reporter came up to him and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over a hundred dollars a word; Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, "Really, I certainly wasn't aware of that."
The reporter cynically reached down into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, "Here's a hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now, you give me one of your hundred dollar words." Mr. Kipling looked at that hundred dollar bill for a moment, took it and folded it up and put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks."
He's right! The word thanks is certainly a hundred dollar word. In fact, I would say it is more like a million dollar word. It's one word that is too seldom heard and too rarely spoken and too often forgotten. If we would all adopt an attitude of thanksgiving into our lives - our lives would be changed. We would savor each day.
