It’s Thanksgiving season, and with it comes all of the staples of the holiday. Massive pumpkin pies from Costco, hand turkeys colored in with markers, waiting for the Thanksgiving turkey to get out of the oven so that you can put other things in that will actually taste good(that might just be me and my insistence that turkey even at its best will always be just okay). Family and friends gathering together in crowded houses, all with something to contribute, whether it’s a carefully made dish or good conversation. 

One of the central themes of this holiday, as made somewhat obvious through its name, is giving thanks. We, in a heartfelt manner, express an attitude of gratitude to God, our family, our friends, usually around the Thanksgiving table; we talk about the manifold blessings that have been showered upon our lives. Our health, our academics, our jobs, our shelter, our food and water, our community, our safety. Thanksgiving is a time for reflection on all of the good things in our lives, and then, that time comes to an end. 

It’s the nature of all holidays and the virtues they embody, obviously. Part of the reason why these holidays are special to us is because they set aside a time to think about and treasure specific concepts, like gratitude during Thanksgiving and grace during Easter. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas into the New Year is chaotic and filled with its own trials and delights. Admittedly, it’s difficult to keep up the habit of expressing our gratitude to both God and our peers as well as remembering how much we have to be thankful for. But I think it’s important that we ensure that our attitude of gratitude—and forgive me for the rhyme—does not act as simply a platitude of gratitude. 

In my opinion, the best way to accomplish this is to ensure that the product of our gratitude is not just introspection and reflection on our own lives, as valuable and important as those things are. Gratitude is perhaps at its best when it leads to the desire to give others something to be grateful about, to spread the blessings that have been so lavishly bestowed upon us. A person who is truly aware of all the grace they have received from God and their neighbors, especially one who acknowledges how little our own talents and devices had in bringing about success; they will want to act as an agent of God’s gifts unto others, in particular those who are suffering and in need of assistance. James 2:16 illustrates this principle beautifully. It reads, “If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” During this holiday season and beyond, let us make sure that our thankfulness allows good deeds to come to fruition, whether that’s through volunteering, donating, or one of the myriad of ways that you could feel called by God to serve your communities. 

First Day of Sunday School Pictures