My mom’s favourite holiday of the year is Thanksgiving. She said to me once she loved it because there were no obligations attached to it like presents or candy. She’s absolutely right. It’s simplicity lived, simplicity celebrated. It’s marvellous.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. A time when we give thanks for the harvest, for this past year and our loved ones. It’s a time of reflection and pause, of meditation and thanks-living. At least it should be. Often times we run around like chickens with our heads cut off just before the big feast. We forget what Thanksgiving is about and make it all about the food or the gatherings and instead of celebrating togetherness we start to implode and explode as we realize how much there is to do, how much there is to get done.
I say enough with that. Enough with the doing more. Enough with the besting our neighbours. Enough with the trying to be everything for everyone. This holiday is meant to be a celebration and a momentary pause in our busy lives to give thanks for the year and everything we’ve lived through. Enough already. Thanksgiving should be a season when we purposefully set ourselves apart to thank God, to thank our families and friends for the love we’ve experienced and the gifts we’ve been given. Let’s not let ourselves be run into the ground but instead celebrate this season as what it is, a time of gratitude and fellowship.
While we enjoy the food, let us enjoy each other. While we prepare the food let us remember that a perfect pie crust is not the goal but instead a time of pause in the midst of a busy life to give thanks. While we approach this weekend as the first of many holidays to come let us remember the importance of being still and knowing God. Take time this week to be still. Oh I know it’s important to prepare. I’m doing so myself. I know there is food to be bought, prepped and cooked. There are people to call, to see, to share with. These things are important yes but so is being still. When we take time to be still we can see all around us. When we take time to be still we can listen and be made aware. When we take time to be still we acknowledge our thoughts and can contemplate our thanksgivings.
This week be still.
Be still and know.
Be still and know that God is with you.
Then while you are still give thanks.
Give thanks and know.
Give thanks and be still.
God is there.
Give thanks.
“Be still, and know that I am God!…” Psalm 46:10
