Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving. The day America sets aside every year for family, food and football games. Amidst all the Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy and Potatoes, we might set aside five, maybe ten minutes at the most to remember things that we are thankful for.
A new car.
Another year of school under our belts.
Enough food to eat.
But have we ever sat down and actually thought about what this day really means?
Thanksgiving. Giving Thanks.
This begs the question, to whom? Who are we thanking for being able to eat so much food that we all pass out by the end of the day? Our founders set aside a national holiday for giving thanks to God for all of the blessings that He has showered down on us and our nation.
Prosperity.
Freedom.
Another year of life.
Today was originally a day set aside for prayer and thanksgiving to God for His gracious provision and protection. But that is not what it is now. Most Americans spend today watching football while fighting off a food coma and trying to avoid those pesky relatives that love to get in their lives. We are blessed to live in a country where we have more than enough food to eat; most of us have somewhere to sleep and warm clothes to wear. God has richly blessed our country, but most of us are trying to cut Him out of the equation. This has become more and more apparent to me the more Holiday seasons I live through. We have made Thanksgiving about eating as much as humanly possible and Christmas about getting as much as possible.
I know that it is now the end of Thanksgiving day. Most of us have already eaten dinner, hung out with our families and watched the game. But Thanksgiving doesn't have to be once a year. Make everyday a day of Thanksgiving. Count your blessings and thank God for His blessings everyday of the year.
God has blessed us and allowed us to be born into a time and a country where we have the freedom to worship Him openly. Do not take this for granted. The privileges that we enjoy could be taken away in a heartbeat. Overnight.
As we enter into the Holiday season, let us enjoy our families and the fun that the season brings. But let us not forget Who this season really is about. Let us be sober minded, remembering that even if we are going through tight financial times and are considered "poor" by our government's standards, we are still some of the richest people in the world. Let us be thankful for what we have, even if it is not a lot, even if we have lost a lot, even if it is less than we are used to. Let us enjoy and take advantage of our freedom of worship by openly sharing what God has done in our lives, knowing that we could wake up tomorrow and find that freedom gone.
I will end this night by thanking God for His love and grace. For sending His Son down to earth, taking up the form of a man to die the most cruel and painful death ever contrived, all for my sins. Thanking God for giving me a second chance at life. For making me a new person, and giving me a new purpose.  For giving me a heart to love, eyes to see and mind to think. May I never take these gifts for granted.
What are you thankful for tonight?