The expression of gratitude, especially to God – that is what Thanksgiving means. Dating back to the 1600s, the Pilgrims came over to America in hopes of starting a new life where they could freely practice their faith. The pilgrims, with the Native Americans broke bread over the harvest and celebrated (what was named in 1893 by Lincoln) as Thanksgiving. Celebrated every November in remembrance of the first coming together of people in the colonies. Pretty cool, right? I’m sure you’re wondering what this quick history lesson is all about. Well, let me explain.
It seems more fitting today, as I reflect on all the Thanksgiving holidays I’ve had in years past, that this year requires that definition to be focused on even more. Amidst more COVID-19 shut-downs, travel bans, and quarantining loved ones, coming together has become much more difficult. Many family traditions are now spent on a Zoom call in front of a camera instead of pilling into a living room around a fire and football. Maybe the tradition was spent out at a restaurant to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and now people are forced to stay home. In some ways there is potentially some good that can come out of it by creating almost forced space to be intentional with family, tradition, and most importantly, giving thanks.
Family is so important; time is precious and in the age of the pandemic we are living in, being intentional with family is everything. I encourage you, regardless of what it looks like for you, to be with family in some capacity to celebrate a holiday built around gratitude and coming together. Whether its spent digitally, on facetime, Zoom, or phone call, or if you are lucky enough to spend it around a table, focus on the relationships. Put distractions away, laugh, love, and enjoy the company in whatever capacity. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances: for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It may be less than ideal, but it’s important to remember to give thanks regardless and be grateful to have the ability to connect with loved ones virtually.
Tradition is something special. If you or your family is like mine, then tradition around certain holidays is something looked forward to. A tradition my family has shared for years on Thanksgiving is before we pray for the meal. We all stand in a circle and go around the room one by one to say what we are thankful for. It can be anything and everything but one thing that always stands out to me is how my little cousins respond. The innocence and vulnerability of a child is something I sometimes envy. Typically, people will be thankful for health, a job, everyone being together, etc. and those are all good and valuable things. But to hear a child talk about how they are thankful for the way a parent protects or loves them, that they are thankful for specific people because of the way they played Legos with them one time, or shot the basketball outside. Don’t get me wrong, there can be a comedic aspect too, of how they are so thankful for a toy or the cinnamon roll they ate that morning, HA! But regardless, there is an intentionality and purpose with what they are saying and it’s something we could all emulate a little more. This year I encourage you to focus extra on tradition. A sense of normalcy and consistency from years past will make the variables in the world just a little easier to cope with. Additionally, tradition is something to celebrate. Naturally, for tradition to occur there must be consistency dating back years to allow time to build the tradition. Tradition is something to be thankful for and I urge you to express gratitude that you’ve been able to be a part of something so special.
Saving the best for last… Giving thanks is the number one point of this blog. If you take nothing else away from this post, remember this – Giving thanks opens us up to opportunity to trust God deeper, love stronger and appreciate the good around us. Thanksgiving is scattered all throughout the Bible. It is one of the most pivotal things we can do to show our love and appreciation for the good things around us. Just as the definition at the beginning says, “especially to God”. That is the definition found not in the bible, but in the dictionary. That must stand for something, right? Through the crazy times we are living in, despite how hard it can be, we are encouraged to give thanks to God. Psalms 107:8-9 says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” This verse is so powerful and the imagery surrounding a holiday where food is a focal point makes it that much more impactful.
The final verse above encompasses a little bit of everything discussed previously, “his love” reminds me of family, “his wonderful deeds” hints at tradition and honoring God, and lastly, “he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry” when we are rewarded for our trust and faith in God. I leave you with this as we enter into Thanksgiving tomorrow, express gratitude not just for your family or traditions; but express Gratitude to God for giving you this holiday to celebrate and come together, for health, or for technology that allows us to connect in a time that face to face interaction is made more difficult. Give thanks, express gratitude.
WORKOUT
Naturally, the day before a holiday that is spent around tables full of food, workouts seem to be more about cardio and burning a few extra calories to make room for that one last piece of pie, or bite of turkey! But as many travel and may be out of their normal workout location or set up this deck of cards workout can be done anywhere with a physical deck of cards or the ‘Sweat Deck’ app that can be downloaded for free.
Set up: Shuffle the deck and flip a card over. Do the exercise that relates to that card. Every 9 cards take a 30-60sec break.
Numbered Cards are as they read (4 of diamonds = 4 reps of exercise), Face Cards are 10 reps, and ACEs are 11 reps. Jokers are special.
(Warm-up)
- DIAMONDS
- Pushups
- SPADES
- Mountain Climbers
- CLUBS
- Crunches
- HEARTS
- Burpees
- JOKERS
- 1-mile run
- 1-minute plank (if no space to run or temperature doesn’t allow)
(Cool Down/Stretch)
Hammer and Anvil 