Last Sunday after church my dear, sweet wife and I stopped by my daughter's house to pick up a table. When we arrived we found her youngest son drawing with chock on the driveway.
On one side of the driveway he wrote, "I am thankful for my house," with the family home drawn underneath the words. On the other side of the driveway he wrote, "I am thankful for my dogs." And there he had drew pictures of the four dogs the family has. Interestingly, we noted that he hadn't written, "I am thankful for my brothers." Maybe that was still to come.
I still remember the first Thanksgiving Eve service I conducted at the church I served in Missouri. I asked the congregation, "Please take your bulletin and turn it over to the back cover. You'll notice it is blank. Let's take 60 seconds and make a list of everything we can think of for which we are thankful. On your mark, go!" And I must say that it was fun to watch everyone work at filling up that page of their bulletin."
After the service a couple came to speak with me. They were visiting some friends in the area and decided to worship with us. The fellow said, "Pastor, I'd like for you to read what I wrote on the back of my bulletin." He handed it to me and what was written was this: "There is not enough paper in the world for me to write down all the things I am thankful for."
Touche! The fellow was right. There isn't enough paper for any of us to make a list of those things that we would give thanks to God for. What would be on your Thanksgiving List? Any idea where you would start?
It seems to me that Martin Luther can offer us ready help. His three explanations to the Apostles' Creed are a good place to start.
We can thank God for life. We can give thanks for all that God gives to sustain our lives - clothing and shoes, house and home, etc., etc. God deserves our thanks for His protective care. We can thank God that He does all these things out of His divine mercy and for no other reason.
We can give thanks for Jesus who left His heavenly throne to come to this earth. Jesus deserves our thanks for the redemption He made for us, paying for each one of us with His own blood, shed on the cross. Much thanks goes to Jesus for doing all of this so that we might join Him in His kingdom and be with Him forever.
And that's not all. We can thank the Father and the Son for sending the Holy Spirit to us. Thanks be to God for the Gospel, for it is the power of God for your salvation and mine. We can certainly give thanks for the forgiveness of sins which without we would be separated from God for eternity. And we can give thanks for the resurrection of the dead and the promise of eternity with our Lord.
What would your Thanksgiving List look like? What special gifts has God given you. How have you seen God's protective care in your life? Who are those who show the love of God to you in the example they set. Maybe, between now and Thursday you can make your own thanksgiving list. Or, as you sit down at the table, before the dishes are passed around, ask each person to name one thing they are thankful for.
The answers might really surprise you. I'll be watching to see if my grandson is ready to give thanks for his brothers!
