Grateful

We just celebrated Veteran's Day, reflecting on the wonderful gift of people who serve, live and (some) die for the freedom we enjoy.  Sometimes we get a little jaded as we think about the stresses on our freedom and the challenges we face.  There are certainly many examples of these challenges, and if we enter into the Thanksgiving/Christmas season with this baggage, it can be a long, relentless journey.  But today, I would like to take a different approach.  It is inspired by our Savior, Jesus and a little song by Mary Chapin Carpenter called, Thanksgiving Song.

First, the foundation of our Thanksgiving Freedom.  Paul writes, "Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead He gave up His divine privileges and took the humble position of a slave, and was born a human being (Phil. 2:6-7)."  Wesley writes (in And Can It Be That I Should Gain) "emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race." 

I could tell you the history of our American Thanksgiving.  I could share presidential proclamations and legislative actions that 'create' our holiday.  But Christ created our reason for Thanksgiving.  He gave up divine rights, His own security, safety, authority and royalty to become a slave ... all for people like you and me!  He is the 'giving' in Thanksgiving.  You say, "Preacher, we know all that ... what does this have to do with freedom?"

My take is this.  Some of us enter Thanksgiving fearful of the family situations we will encounter.  Our politics, our 'rights,' our personal and factional agendas, our losses, our fears and our stubbornness all work together to divide us as people, families and Americans.  This is not a good context for giving thanks.  So, I want to recommend the little prayer in Mary Chapin Carpenter's Thanksgiving Song.

The song begins with a word we should begin with ... grateful.  The Latin root word is gratus, meaning pleasing or agreeable.  Will you commit to being pleasing and agreeable this season?  Will you be "grateful for each hand you hold, gathered round the table?"  Can you give up 'self' to give thanks for those you should love?

Will you express gratitude for the shelter you enjoy, however lavish or plain it is?  Never forget that our veterans have served and fought for that shelter we call America, however broken we might be at the present time.  And never forget the shelter of a God who said, "He will cover you with His feathers, He will cover you with His wings, His faithful promises are your armor and protection (Psalm 91:4)."  Are you grateful?

Are you "grateful for what's understood, all that is forgiven?"  Jesus did this ("humbled Himself in obedience to God [Phil. 2:8]") so that you could, and would, be forgiven.  Do you, in gratitude to God, pass this forgiveness along, modeling and teaching others about the God you believe in!?

Are you/we people who, because of the freedom we have in Christ, come into this holiday season, so full of Christ that we can enjoy the light and life Christ wants us to experience?  He offers this to us by His example by (as the Philippians passage says) "emptying Himself."  Carpenter writes, "welcome, welcome, share this feast, come in away from sorrow!"  Will you share the 'feast' of the season?  The meals, events, fellowship, family and other opportunities, all present those times we can truly show others the nature of the Savior we call Jesus.  The word is "Grateful" ... pleasing, agreeable.  Paul calls us to the fruit of the Spirit (joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).  Philippians says give up self.  The little song says, "Grateful for each hand we hold, gathered round the table."  Thank you, Jesus, for the freedom and every hand to hold, gathered round to table!  Randy