A Thanksgiving Recipe

The other night, our small group was sitting in a living room when my friend Brad shared something really insightful. He told our little community that he has recently been discovering again how gratitude leads us to God’s presence. There is something really freeing about the fact that there’s no special formula. Connecting with God does not require a secret handshake, just the right words expressed perfectly, or even some title or degree. Instead, God invites us to commune with him, and the recipe is to enter in with gratitude. The Psalmist says it this way:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100

 As we approach Thanksgiving, there is so much we can be thankful for. However, let’s start by approaching the Giver of all good gifts with a heart full of gratitude for the one who has rescued us from ourselves.  

One of my favorite authors, Ann Voskamp, says, "The practice of giving thanks... eucharisteo... this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don’t have to change what we see. Only the way we see."

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, may the ritual of a day become a lifestyle in our hearts... a pathway to the Savior of our souls.