Notice that this blog is entitled “The Season of Thankfulness.” Shouldn’t that read “Thanksgiving,” since the national holiday of Thanksgiving comes in this month of November? Hmm… do these two things (thankfulness and thanksgiving) mean the same or different things? I believe that the first (thankfulness) is necessary before we can have the second (thanksgiving). Thankfulness is the attitude of the heart within a person that then gives expression to the act of thanksgiving. Being thankful moves us to the giving of thanks.

Each morning, I begin my day using a resource of Scripture readings and prayers. I’ve used this for many years, and it has become a treasured friend. Within this resource, the following lines are found, said to have been found in the clothing of an unknown Civil War soldier who was killed in action. It is a prayer, but more than a prayer – it is a call to thankfulness which leads to thanksgiving:

            I asked God for strength, that I might achieve…
            I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
            I asked for health, that I might do great things…
            I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
            I asked for riches, that I might be happy…
            I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
            I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men…
            I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
            I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life…
            I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
            I got nothing that I asked for…
            But everything that I hoped for.
            Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered…
            I am among all men most richly blessed. Amen.
(For All the Saints: A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III, pp. 312-313).

So often in life, we see only what we do not have, and so thankfulness is absent, which means that there is little or no thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is critical in our faith life, and not just on the fourth Thursday in November each year. As followers of Jesus, each and every day becomes an opportunity to give thanks to God our Maker and Redeemer. Otherwise, what does Paul the apostle mean when he writes: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). The spirit of thankfulness which leads to thanksgiving has an added benefit, which Paul writes about in the following verse: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Could it be that Paul means these are actually sequential in faith? Could it be that unless there is thankfulness and thanksgiving there will not be that blessed peace?

There is more wisdom from Paul about thankfulness and thanksgiving that challenges us further. He writes: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Note what Paul says here: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” There are circumstances in life where we can understand how hard it is to give thanks: the health diagnosis that is not what we wanted to hear; the death that leaves us grieving and broken; the job loss that can lead to other losses; the sense of isolation and loneliness that seems insurmountable. At times, it can be very hard to see anything for which to be thankful. But the Word of God through Paul the apostle noted above pulls us in a different direction.

A much-loved that is often used at Thanksgiving is “Now Thank We All Our God” (Bing Videos).  This hymn was written by Martin Rinkhart (1586-1649), a German Lutheran pastor, amidst the horrors of the Thirty Years’ War of 1618-1648. Pastor Rinkhart served for thirty-two years in Eilenburg, a walled city in eastern Germany, just south of Wittenberg. “Since Eilenburg was a walled city, people from miles around sought refuge there [during the Thirty Years’ War], and overcrowding resulted in famine and pestilence. When in 1637 the superintendent left and two other clergymen died, Rinkart alone was left to minister to the city, sometimes preaching burial services for forty or fifty persons in one day. His wife also was taken by the pestilence, and he himself fell ill, but survived. Twice also he dissuaded the Swedish commander from imposing excessive tribute on the town. His services, however, were received with little gratitude by the city authorities…” (Hymnal Companion to the Lutheran Book of Worship, by Marilyn Kay Stulken. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981; p. 543). “Now Thank We All Our God” was written by Martin Rinkart at the height of the chaos, destruction, and death of the Thirty Years’ War in 1637. There is wisdom for us here to learn from those who have gone before us. They call us both to thankfulness and thanksgiving, even when that seems very hard to do.

No matter what life may hold for us – good or ill – for the child of God, each and every day becomes a day to return and give thanks. Thanksgiving is not just one day in late November. Regardless of our life’s situation or circumstances, God’s amazing gifts are there in each of our lives. If we think that it’s important to say thank you to other people, how much more important it is to say thank you to God our Maker and Redeemer!  And the gift of all gifts is Jesus, who took on our thanklessness and ingratitude, and died to set us free from our sins. Now, how will we use this freedom? Surely this blood-bought freedom must be grounded in thanksgiving.

So what are you thankful for? We’re now living in the post-Election Day world. We pray that by the grace of God we may move beyond division and distrust into how we can (and must!) work together for the common good. Maybe you’re thankful that the plethora of election ads are now behind us. Maybe you’re thankful that your candidate(s) won his or her bid for office. Maybe you’re thankful that we live in a country where there are elections in which we can all cast our ballots, supporting the party and candidate of our choosing. Maybe you’re thankful for more immediate needs: having a job, keeping current with bills, putting food on the table, good health, family and friends. The blessings are there, if we have the eyes to see them.

One of the most important things we can do in life is to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness, which overflows into thanksgiving. It becomes contagious! Others see this and sense this in us, and want to know where this comes from. Where did we get it, and how can they get what we have? It becomes a bridge to touch the lives of others with the good news of Jesus. At Thanksgiving, when we gather with loved ones around tables laden with turkey and all the trimmings, let us give thanks not only for the things of this life, but for the eternal life which is ours through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. In this month of November, with its bookend festivals of All Saints and Christ the King, we are especially conscious of Jesus’ promised coming again. As we wait and watch for this with thanksgiving, Jesus calls us to see his face in the face of those around us, especially those who are in need. We are called to see Christ in our neighbor and be Christ to our neighbor.

In this season of thankfulness, in every season of life, we say with the psalmist: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1).