Vitamin Thanks-giving

Last year, around Thanksgiving time, the kids and I began a "thankful chain." Each link in the chain began with I'm thankful for: - and we all took turns completing the sentence. The activity was a big hit, but I haven't repeated it this year. Instead, I find myself thinking of of other, more 'productive' ways, to express our deepest thanks. Inevitably, my mind runs along lines of 'giving back' or 'paying it forward' - ideas which are fine in and of themselves, but as a substitute for the simple act of thanksgiving, not wise.

You see, I'm beginning to realize that the simple act of giving thanks is a beautiful end unto itself. Consider the response of a generous friend when I wrote her a thank you card for her gift of hand-me-down clothes for my daughter: "I never get tired of hearing you say thank you!" No, she wasn't being self-centered. That response is a natural one - one most likely shared by our God.

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. " (Hebrews 13:15)

I believe God gets a wonderful high from hearing me simply give Him thanks and praise. Rather than consistently looking for ways to edge around this spiritual practice, I think I'd do well to look upon thanksgiving as something so desirable to God that He sees it as a beautiful gift which needs no embellisment to be complete. It's called thanksgiving, after all: Since when did the idea of giving thanks alone become 'not enough' to please the One who asked it of us in the first place?

"But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:3)

If my thanks can create for my God a richer throne, a higher glory, than my withholding of the same, by all means, I'm prepared to give it! This year, I want to picture the vocalization of my thanks as a precious gift worth more to God than all the hollow activities I could claim were my thanks instead.

George Barna, in his slim volume Revolution, notes that "Only one out of four churched believers says that when they worship God, they expect Him to be the primary beneficiary of their worship." (32) But shouldn't God enjoy our heartfelt worship as much or more than we ourselves? I believe we enter into true worship through the avenues of 'thanksgiving ... [and] praise" (Psalm 100:4) ... so offering these up with the knowledge that they please Him for more than meaningless words or actions can be the beginning of a sweet time of blessing - not solely for myself, but also (and perhaps more so) for my God. What a novel concept! My simple "Thank You," my praise to the One who gave me the reason to say "Thanks" in the first place, is fulfilling and true enough on its own! Kind of like a glass of water: It needs no additves to be fulfilling. In fact, it's often what the body craves most of all.

I'd like to fill my life, and the lives of my children, with more of this kind of fulfillment. I have a hunch that when we're saturated in true thanksgiving, the actions that come afterward (and yes, I believe there will be actions - read Hebrews 13:16) will be richer and more meaningful than before - because they will be borne out of a right sense of gratitude to our Maker.

I can't wait to gift my God with true thanks. And what better season than this to dive in? Let the thanks-gifting begin!