Is it Thanksgiving Day yet?

I love Thanksgiving. It is not my favorite holiday as that is occupied by Christmas, but I still love Thanksgiving. My wife's family does a big celebration and it is a great time of family, fellowship, football and food.

The food is always great, and my mother-in-law always goes all-out, and she even makes a few things that she knows I like, so how can I not like that? Our responsibility is the pies, which is probably my favorite Thanksgiving Day food, so I have complete control over my Thanksgiving meal satisfaction.

The football is great, too, except when the two day games are blowouts, and I am driving home during the third and final game. But hey, its football!!!

The family and fellowship is usually pretty great as well. I have a bit in common with my in-laws, so the conversation is usually something I can contribute to and also get something out of. The older I get, the more and more I appreciate the presence of family, and I do not take the family times for granted.

But what really makes the day for me is the name of the day, Thanksgiving. I love reflecting on and sharing with others what I am truly thankful for. In fact, this year, as we were driving home, my wife, my 5-year-old and I each took turns saying what we were thankful for. It was a fun exchange, and included some very superficial things as well as some pretty deep things as well, and not just from the adults. I came to really appreciate this exercise, and will most definitely be doing this again next year on our drive home.

But as I was reading in Ephesians last night, I was challenged. Thanksgiving should be EVERY day. Sure, the food won't be the same, the pies won't always be there, football will be over in a few months (I am also thankful for NFL Network), and large family gatherings do not happen each day. But every day we can be thankful. The art of appreciation has faded from the repertoire of most Americans. We have forgotten how to say thanks. We have forgotten how to be thankful. But the good news is that we can return to thankfulness. In fact, Paul tells us in Ephesians that we should be "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything." (Ephesians 5:20)

Thanksgiving should also be used as a replacement strategy, according to Paul. In Ephesians 5:3-4 Paul tells us, "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."

Instead of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenities, foolish talking, or coarse joking, we should replace all of those with thanksgiving. If you are anything like me, you could write a book with all of the things you could and should be thankful for. God has given us so much and the very least that we can do is to tell Him that we appreciate those things, but also that we appreciate Him.

So, while we wait another 11 months for the day we call Thanksgiving to roll around, let us practice the ritual of Thanksgiving every day.