Set The Tone for Giving Thanks

In retrospect, 2010 has flown by. Halloween has come and gone. Thanksgiving is just days away. One radio station (104.1) has already been playing Christmas music for weeks, and the boys saw their first Christmas yard decorations on Tuesday night. We are hard at work at Tom Thumb Singers, as we realize our Christmas concert is less than a month away. Where has all the time gone? It didn’t seem to go so fast during the year, but now 2010 is almost done.

Even though our schedules are already filling up, I encourage you to take some time to reflect upon past holidays and consider what you would like this year’s holiday season to be like.

For the Decker family, Thanksgiving and Christmas usually mean travel time. I am thankful that both Janette’s and my family live in Michigan, so we don’t have to travel out of state. Nonetheless, making the trip can be both tiring and frustrating. Upon arrival at our destination, we (usually I) quickly unpack the truck, but there is no settling down. Whether it’s the preparation for a Thanksgiving dinner or all the Christmas festivities, the houses are bustling. And, if we’re not careful, we won’t take the time to remember the true reason for gathering together.

This year, I hope we all make the effort to slow things down enough to remember why we gather to celebrate. Yes, Thursday is Thanksgiving. But, will we take the time to reflect and truly give thanks to God for all His blessings poured out upon us? Will our Christmas celebrations truly be celebrations of Christ’s birth? For either holiday, I encourage you to set the tone for giving thanks to God. Encourage people to share something that has happened this year, whether challenge or triumph, and how God has proven faithful and provided. Then, truly give thanks together.

In His grip,
Pastor Decker