A Reason to Give Thanks

You’d think it was Christmas Eve.

The atmosphere last night in our home, at our church was electric.

Here at home, we worked alongside each other to prepare the house for Thanksgiving Day guests.  I made up a list of all of the things that I needed help with to get ready.  Our kids would choose something from the list, do it, cross it off, and then choose the next task until all was completed.  The spirit of cooperation, the time in which we got everything done, and the enjoyment that everyone displayed in serving was nothing short of amazing.

Fast forward to Bible study at 7pm.  “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus” kicks off and rounds out a medley of praise songs.  The tempo of that song, its simple tune, and the agreement among those in attendance as to what the words declare, elicit complete participation in the worship experience.  It’s difficult to stop.  However the praise continues by way of the message.  Pastor opens by acknowledging a family that used to be members at DaySpring and were back in town for a visit.  They share about how they were broken as individuals and as a married couple.  But how God healed them through our church’s ministry and now they are leading other married couples to healing.  Incredible.

Before Bible study came to a close, we are charged to get into groups of two adults (sometimes with children in tow as the children were in the sanctuary with us tonight) and share with the other person what we needed to thank God for that we haven’t thanked him for in the past.  This was difficult to do.  Both me and my partner felt that we had given our share of ‘thanks yous’ to God whenever he blessed us.  However it came to my mind that I had not thanked him for all of the hard times.  In the midst of difficulty, I just want God to take it all away.  ‘Make that person think right and act right so that I don’t have to deal with all this mess’ is more of the type of prayer that I might pray.  But what I could be praying is, ‘Thank you Father for the opportunity to learn and grow from this struggle.’  Hard prayer to pray, huh?  Job puts it like this, Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Job 2:10b.

On the ride home from church, our daughter remarked, “Mom, we’ve never had such an eventful night at church before a holiday before.”  In my mind the night wasn’t necessarily eventful, it was exciting, but I guess her word choice confused me.  “What was eventful about it?” I asked.  She answered, “The Redcross’s were in town…” then she kind of trailed off realizing that there was only that one thing to be noted.  I just kind of let it go, happy that she was feeling good about the evening.

Tucking the boys into bed, our youngest recited a prayer about being happy it was Thanksgiving tomorrow with intonations of joy and giddiness all at the same time.  I thought in my mind, ‘They are not falling asleep anytime soon.’  Sure enough after being downstairs for about 15 minutes then heading up to bed myself, I listen in on the commotion coming from their room.  They are delighting in making various volumes of farting noises for one another.  I decide to let them have their fun and not intervene.

It finally dawned on me today, this Thanksgiving Day, that last night my children were sensing the Holy Spirit of God.  What Morgan tried to verbally share, the “wired” condition of the boys in their room—we experienced our own Pentecost here in the Webb household.  As I sit at my computer typing this up with the light of dawn breaking on Thanksgiving Day, God has given me yet another reason to give thanks.