THANKS-DOING
November 18, 2018
It’s amazing to think it’s Thanksgiving time! I know retailers are super excited because this is the absolute longest period of time for shopping. I’m super excited because I love turkey and frankly most everything that goes along with Thanksgiving.
Most of us trust that the holiday started with the Pilgrims, and if that’s what you think, you’re right. I was reading about the start of Thanksgiving. I wanted to make sure my facts were correct. There’s a difference of opinion or fact as to where it really started
I read that Thanksgiving goes back to a 1619 event in Virginia and a sparsely documented 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts. The 1619 arrival of 38 English settlers at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia, concluded with a religious celebration as dictated by the group's charter from the London Company, which specifically required “that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned ... in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.”
And we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, in one way or another since that time. Of course, Thanksgiving has really kind of degenerated from what was kind of a holy day, not a Christian holiday, but kind of a day of reverence - - to a time when we sit with one another for a bit, check the Black Friday ads and plan our attack on the shopping season. And some simply forgo Black Friday, so they can start shopping.
Even when we have lots to be thankful for, we tend to gloss over the day and celebrate thanksgiving in a perfunctory manner. We simply go through the motions.
As I was reading about Thanksgiving, I learned we are not the only country to celebrate this holiday. There’s lots of other countries celebrating Thanksgiving.
In Brazil, Thanksgiving isn't a national holiday, but it occurs on our same day, the 4th Thursday of November, and it’s called Dia de ação de graças (axsohn de grahsas).
Thanksgiving in Canada started before ours did, and it’s celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October. Thanksgiving is called Jour de l'Action de grâce.
Why am I telling you about these holidays? Because they have a different meaning when you break them down. Literally both mean the same - - -
Jour de l'Action de grâce
The Day of the Action of Grace!
Do you know what I like about the Canadian and Brazilian name for thanksgiving? They both contain the word action. They've got it right. Being thankful is about action.
Sometimes I think we don’t fully understand what it means to be thankful. We tend to think it’s a feeling. We hear people say things like, "It's not that I don't feel gratitude, I’m just not good at expressing it." If that's the case, your appreciation doesn't do anyone much good. Gratitude not expressed is the same as no gratitude. So, in order to be truly thankful, we need to practice more than thanks-feeling, we need to practice thanks-doing.
Thirty-three times in the Bible we find the phrase "give thanks." Most of the time it refers to giving thanks to God, but we are also instructed to demonstrate gratitude and appreciation toward others. Both are necessary. So, how can we show thanks?
If you're thankful - - - - can you say something about it? It sounds really simple. It’s almost too simple, but it’s so important in our lives. And unfortunately, it’s often neglected. Maybe we assume the other person knows we’re thankful, but if they don’t hear it, they won’t know it.
I read about a family in which the children were taught to say thank you when they sat down to eat a meal. Even at home. It sounds crazy, but I get the thought process behind it. Someone did something for you, and you say “thank you” to the person who prepared the meal for you.
It's a good habit to get into at home. When someone does something for you, even something small, how hard is it to say thank you. Personally, I think we’ve done a good job in our home. I don’t think we say, wow! Mom, thanks for that bowl of cereal, but we’re pretty good at saying thank you when someone hands you something. I remember I handed Zachary a bowl of cereal in the morning, he said, “thank you” but I didn’t respond. He looked at me and said, “thank you!” He expected me to respond.
And we should respond, we should be respectful and kind and say thank you. Especially, as we move into this crazy, busy holiday season, can you stop and say thank you to people who are willing to help you, or even provide a service to you?
I really believe this applies to what parents say to children and what parents say to each other, and to what children say to their parents and children say to each other.
There's no rule that says we can't be polite in our conversation with one another, so practice saying thank you — not only at home, but also at the store. When the waitress brings you your coffee, when the clerk hands you your purchase, even if they're just doing their job, say thank you.
It works on the job, too. There are always good opportunities to say thank you to someone you work with for something good they’ve done. Or you can find a few people that you can thank just for being who they are: Thank you for being so easy to work with. Thank you for being so pleasant to be around. Thank you for having a great attitude.
Sometimes, someone will say something to you that helps us to stay on track. We just needed a little affirmation, a thank you, a comment from someone that they noticed something good about us. That’s so important in our lives.
You never how a simple thank-you can make a difference in someone's day, maybe even determine the direction of their decisions.
Paul often began his letters with words of thanks. You see it in several of his letters. A good example is in Philippians...
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, – Philippians 1:3
There's an even better example is First Corinthians.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, – 1 Corinthians 1:4
Why is First Corinthians a better example? Because the church in Corinth was full of problems. There was a lot of stuff going on that shouldn't have been going on. Paul could have, very easily, begun his letter saying, "I am so disappointed in you. You are such an embarrassment to me. I don't know why I'm wasting my time with you." We may have been tempted to do that. But that's not what Paul did. Instead, he reminded these people, saying, "I always thank God for you."
What a great model to follow. Say thank you, even to people who aren't perfect. Your spouse, your kids, your friends, your classmates, your coworkers, your bosses. The clerks and waiters and everyone around us. They’re not perfect. Yet, they’re real people, with real issues, with real desires and wants, most often, just to be needed and recognized.
People may not always live up to your expectations, but can you still say thank you. You can still show your appreciation. That's where you start with thanks-doing. Just say it.
Another thing to do when you’re thankful is to make the most of it. I know that sounds different. If you're thankful for something, use it. Enjoy it. Make it part of your life.
I struggle with that one. I’m the kind who gets something new, and then I keep it safely put away so that nothing bad happens to it. That’s not the purpose of the gift, it’s not why you bought the item. It’s to be used.
I read about a boy who received a football for a present from a family friend. He loved that football and played catch with it whenever he could. The ball eventually got really beaten up. One day the man who gave it to him, came by and said, ‘do you still have the football I gave you?’ The boy said, ‘yes.’ The man said, ‘go get it and let’s play catch.’ When the boy brought the football out he apologized that it was so beaten up, but the man told him, he was thrilled it was beaten up, because that meant he really liked the ball and used it.
Recognize the blessings we have been given and use them.
When God gives us a beautiful day, don't just glance out the window and say, "Isn't it pretty outside?" Make the most of it: go outside — at least for a few minutes — and bask in the beauty of God’s creation.
Are you thankful for good music? Then listen to it, make that time to listen to the gift of music. Tell someone else about what you listened to and let them listen to the song.
When we say that we’re thankful for something, but never take time to enjoy it, we're not really expressing gratitude. If it something is important to you, it's worth your time and attention.
Think of the things you most appreciate, and the people you most appreciate. Are you making the most of that time? Be certain to tell one another you’re thankful for them. For your spouse, the kids, your parents. Whomever it is that is close to you, tell them. Then make it a point to do something together. Even if it’s sitting in the same room listening to music or reading or watching a movie. Be together!
Do you appreciate the gifts you receive? If you appreciate the gift, and the one who gave it to you, make the most of it.
There's a story in Mark 10 about Jesus healing a blind man. His name was Bartimaeus. He had been sitting on the side of the road begging. When Jesus passed by, Bartimaeus called out to Him and - -
51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”
And immediately he recovered his sight and followed Jesus on the road. – Mark 10:51-52
He was so thrilled at receiving his sight from Jesus, that he followed Jesus. That was his way to say thank you. His old life of being a beggar was over. Now it was time to serve Jesus.
But imagine how it would be if he was healed and went right back to his corner and started complaining about how the sun was in his eyes.
But isn’t that what people do? We get some great gift or an even happens in our lives with is fantastic and instead of giving thanks . . . we complain.
There's another story about Jesus healing a demon-possessed man. After he was healed ~
18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged Jesus that he might go with Him.
19 And Jesus did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”
20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. – Mark 5:18-20
This man wanted to express his thankfulness by being with Jesus, but Jesus wanted him to go into his land and show how he was healed. And the man proclaimed what Jesus did. He gave thanks through his actions of proclaiming Jesus.
As we look around our lives, can we look at those we are closet to and ask ourselves, "Am I making the most of this gift? Am I making the most of this relationship?" Can you be a thanks-doer for the gift of our most precious relationships. We need to make our blessings count!
One last thing . . . as we give thanks, as we do thanksgiving . . . can we pass it on, or pay it forward?
When someone does something for you, maybe you felt humbled, overwhelmed, and sometimes the words just don’t come out . . . can you somehow express your thanksgiving by giving back?
Maybe it’s a gift to someone else, but it’s in response to your blessings. Even to remind a person of how grateful and blessed you are to have them in your life. Those moments are so vital and so infrequent.
I know I have been so blessed by so many of you, and I’ve tried to convey my thanks personally and at times I have done it in this larger setting. It’s recognizing the love and kindness and grace others offer us.
Again, if we go back to where we started this message, we’re often so busy we miss these little moments. I have to admit, it’s one of the reason I coach, and coaching girls basketball has been en eye opener for me. I’ve never coached girls before. I have to admit, they’re different - - - they’re girls!! But I love being with them, because they’re so much fun, and in return I try to remind them this is about having fun and enjoying the moments of life. Win or lose, it’s a blast, but it’s important for me to remind them and thank them for who they are.
Who is in your life, that you can thank? Who is in your life that you can thank by doing something for them . . . . not because you have to, but because you want to. Because they have made a difference in your life, and you can’t think of any better way to say thank you to them, by doing for them.
We have the opportunity to be a blessing to others. As we prepare to leave, I would challenge you to look for opportunities to give back. Opportunities to bless others because they have blessed you.
You don't have to buy someone a car or give them a month's salary, but you can send them a note. You can give them a book that's already on your bookshelf, that you've already read, and you know it will be a blessing to them. You can call them out of the blue and say, "You're one of my favorite people."
In one way or another, we've all been given much. Before we get lost in thinking about all the things we need and want God to do for us, let's give some thought today about how we can be a blessing to someone else.
Genuine gratitude is more than a feeling. It's an action. Thanks doing means we don't keep it to ourselves. We say something about it. Don't be afraid to say thank you.
Thanks doing means - - we pass it on to those around it, that we give others the opportunity to feel appreciated and valued and blessed ... just like we have been blessed.
We have been so blessed by our God, who sent Jesus for us, to redeem us through His death and broke the bonds of death through His resurrection. If anything, we have that to be thankful for. Can you give thanks to God, and extend His love to others?
