“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His loving kindness is everlasting.” I Chronicles 16:34 NAS
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Not because of food or football, or even family gathering; rather for a larger idea. An idea of an entire nation setting aside a day to celebrate being thankful. There is power, true power in that.
One of my life-time mottos has been, ‘Guard your heart with gratefulness.’ I have preached sermons on it, shared it with others and instilled it into the heart of my son from when he was a baby in my arms and I would rock him to sleep and pray into the night air, ‘Lord, thank You so much! Thank you for this house we are in, thank you for the warm clothes on our backs, thank you for this chair where I can rock my son, thank You for the food we ate today, and the food in the house for the morning. Lord, thank you for the beds to sleep in, and the warm blankets to cover us. Thank you, Lord…’ Even as he grew into a boy, this was the theme of many evenings of bedtime prayers. Looking around and being aware of how very blessed we were to be warm, safe, dry, clothed and fed.
These things may sound simple, but if you have ever had a chance to meet people who have had to flee their country due to violence and protecting their families, you will know that these are BIG things. If you have ever walked in the slums in poor countries, and seen big hungry eyes you will know that to have a full belly every day and to be able to give your children food so that their bellies are full is not a light thing. It is everything. If you have ever had to leave your home not knowing where you and your child are going to live, you will know this is not little.
In those times of thanking Jesus for literally every-single-thing, I felt a warmth and a safety, that held my mother’s heart together whenever we DID make those transitions. When our future was unclear, when our address was unsure. When what country we lived in could change in the blink of an eye. In those times, I looked around me and drew strength in being aware of every little detail of our lives…and giving thanks, heartfelt and genuine thanks, to God.
During our years in Chiang Mai, we hosted Thanksgiving in our home 11 years in a row. Our smallest gathering was 35, our largest nearly 60. I love Thanksgiving. To me, it is about sharing. Sharing love, sharing joy, sharing hospitality. It is the table of the Lord. Together we join with many others at a table, a table that represents His care and provision and our hearts brim with the wonder…of being thankful.
In this Thankful Season, our hearts are also thankful for all of you. May your table be full, your hearts be joyful and your sorrow be few. Much love sent from our table to yours.
~ Debbie Ecker
