It was obvious that the young mother was being stretched beyond her limit. The crowded grocery store aisles, her long list of needed items and her child testing her the whole way, looked to be a melt down in the making. Then as if sent from heaven an elderly produce man knelt down and smiled as he gave the young child a beautiful orange. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?” The little boy thought and handed the orange back and said, “Peel it”! I know that wasn’t exactly what the mother was looking for but it does reveal an attitude that many in our society hold whether young or old. We are becoming an ungrateful people. We don’t stop to be thankful but want more.

Paul admonishes the believers in 1Thes 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” That really can’t be anymore clearer! God’s will for you and I as followers of Jesus is to be people of gratitude. I am not a Greek

I choose to not allow Thanksgiving to become nothing more than a speed bump between Halloween and Christmas!       (tweet)

scholar but that word “everything” pretty much means what it says, in all things. I don’t see much wiggle room there at all. So through the tough situations in your life, as well as, the good times we are encouraged to be thankful. Wow! Now that’s hard to swallow.

One man has said that our country’s national holiday has become nothing more than a speed bump between Halloween and Christmas. No sooner do the stores get done selling candy, costumes and carved pumpkins that they immediately start promoting the Christmas season. Many can’t even get through a family dinner before they are rushing out to get in line for “Black Friday”, a term that has become known

Stop the madness! Where there was once prayer, gratitude and family bonding, has now been taken over by shoving, selfishness and getting ahead of others.    (tweet)

for the big sales on Friday after Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, the beast of marketing and business has now crossed the line of a sacred day of thankfulness and family to start the sales when it’s time to eat. Where there was once prayer, gratitude and family bonding, has now been taken over by shoving, selfishness and getting ahead of others. I want to just yell “stop the madness!”

We have become like the little boy who was given the orange and now wants it peeled. Too often we quickly forget the goodness of God in our lives whether divinely given or through someone else. It’s time we develop a habit of thanking God, not just thanksgiving, but thanks-living!

It’s hard to be thankful when you are in a valley of life. Maybe loosing your job, a marriage that is falling apart or many other dreadful events that people may go through. But with as much tenderness as possible let me say, being bitter and self-centered will only eat away what life you do have. It’s only possible to be thankful

Through the tough situations in your life, as well as, the good times we are encouraged to be thankful.   (tweet)

when we look beyond the circumstances and gaze upon God’s eternal justice and love towards us.

We see after King David’s son dies that he runs to God not away from Him. In 2 Sam 12:20 it says, “…he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped.” It was through understanding of who God is that carried David through tough times. David was a man that had a grateful heart no matter what he was going through. It was this heart that penned Ps 100:4-5, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”