I have always been a Christmas girl—love the lights, the music, the ornaments, the parties, the presents—but I’m considering switching my allegiance. I’ve decided to make Thanksgiving my new favorite holiday.
There are things I’ve always enjoyed about Thanksgiving. Days off school are good for any reason. A holiday that always falls on Thursday is quaint. I like turkey. Being together with extended family is always a blessing. (I especially enjoyed that when I had little babies, having so many people around increased my odds of sneaking in a mid-day nap.) And I’m a huge fan of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I don’t think I’ve missed it since I was 4 or 5. I used to dream of performing in the parade with the Rockettes—not knowing, of course, that I would grow up to be a short-legged, rather inflexible five-foot-three.
But the real reason for my switch is that I think Thanksgiving just might be God’s favorite holiday. Is there anything that delights Him more than our thanks? Sure, He changed the course of history by intervening in our world, which we celebrate at Christmas. And yes, we remember at Easter how He revealed all His power and glory by raising Jesus from the dead. Those were mighty displays of love by God toward us. But a day dedicated to giving thanks helps us display our love toward Him.
Like all our traditions, Thanksgiving has gotten mucked up with our cultural entrapments, football games and Black Friday shopping, and even parades. But everyone is at least aware that it’s a holiday that exists for the purpose of giving thanks. Our economy may be dismal and our politics may be a mess, but we Americans know we still have more to be thankful for than anyone else in the world.
“And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.”
—Hebrews 12:28b, The Message
