These words do not seem to belong together. Our Thanksgiving day is far from being a sacrifice. Nutritionists say we will eat about 4,000 calories on this day. A sacrifice? Hardly!
So what did the psalmist mean when he said he would offer to God the 'sacrifice of thanksgiving'? While it would not be possible to exhaust the full meaning of this phrase in this short space, allow me to offer one avenue of thought through the following story:
We were just getting settled into our new house and new community when one evening we heard a knock on the door. Peeking through the curtains I saw an old man dressed in what appeared to be nothing but tattered rags. I slowly opened the door and said, "Yes, may I help you?" With a graceful gesture the old man said: "Good evening ma'am, my name is Thomas and I am your neighbor across the street. I just brought you these apples to welcome you to the community. I attend the church on the corner." I said: "That's where we go too." After some small chit chat, Thomas said, "Well, I need to get back home and feed my cats. See you soon." As Thomas turned to walk away, I noticed his clothes. Though they were ragged, they were clean; but his shoes caught my attention. The heels were loose from the uppers and flapped each time he walked, and it appeared that he used card board to lone both shoes. The sight disturbed me and that night, as I prayed, I asked God what He would have me do. That evening, I bagged up some good clothes and shoes and placed them on Thomas' front porch. Several days later I heard from Thomas again. As I finished up breakfast dishes, I heard a knock on the door. Looking out the curtains, I saw Thomas standing there and from the expression on his face, I knew he was very happy. Perhaps, I thought, he has come to tell me about the bag of clothes he found on his porch. I opened the door and said: "Good morning, Thomas, won't you come in and have some coffee?" "Don't mind if I do." he responded. Thomas began sharing: "I just had to tell you about the most wonderful thing that happened to me last Monday. I was talking to God and I told Him how much I would like to help the homeless at the shelter, seeing as they have no clothes or shoes. You know, some don't even have families. Do you know what I found on my front porch that morning? I found a bag of clothes and two pairs of shoes. God is so good. He answered my prayer and the folks at the homeless shelter can sure use those clothes and shoes."
Thanksgiving has two parts- gratitude and generosity. Gratitude for the blessings of God and generosity toward others. That was the basis of the first thanksgiving feast in 1621. Provisions were meager and times were very hard, but generosity was in abundance. As we enjoy the holiday with plenty of food and the warmth and love of family, let us remember those who do not have much and share in a new way that will honor the Lord Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment