Why Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Celebrating a special time of gratitude can make an impact on our lives in more ways than one.
In a society surrounded by bad news, politics, and too much technology, we can all find a few things to be grateful for.
My parents have done exceptionally well at making sure my sister and I take the time to celebrate the season of Thanksgiving.
A lot of people see no need for Thanksgiving anymore; they would just rather skip right to Christmas. While Christmas is an exciting and celebratory season as well, we should not neglect the blessing that Thanksgiving brings-the blessing of gratitude.
Although I'm not thrilled about the tragedies in the history of the Thanksgiving holiday, I choose to celebrate it for the positives that have resulted from it.
No matter whether or not you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, you gotta admit, Thanksgiving food is the bombbbb. (Sorry for going all 90's slang on you). Seriously though, you cannot deny the greatness of the Thanksgiving feast. From the turkey, dressing, and homemade cranberry sauce to the delicious vegetables to compliment them, the Thanksgiving spread has got your taste buds covered. *cue Shirley Caesar's "You Name It" Video*
Oh, and somebody better be sure to save me a piece of that homemade pumpkin pie!
As if the food at Thanksgiving is not enough motivation to gather on the fourth Thursday in November, getting to be with family is an added bonus. When I was a kid, I did not really appreciate this part of Thanksgiving, as I was with most of my family a lot of the time. However, as I have gotten older and moved away from home for college, the time when I am home around my family has gotten smaller and smaller.
While I know that being away from home more is a part of college and growing up, I still miss seeing everyone. Gathering together to celebrate Thanksgiving is a special time that is not focused on gifts. It is a time that is specifically devoted to being thankful for your blessings and spending time with your loved ones.
I cannot help but be thankful for all that God has given me. Salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, my family, health, recovery from an eating disorder, a home, food, clothing, His holy word, my pets, my friends, and so much more. If I am honest, it can be easy for me to overlook all that God has graciously given me, so having a holiday surrounding thankfulness is something that I can appreciate.
Gratitude is a quality that many people, including myself, fall short in portraying at times. Please hear me when I say that choosing to be grateful is such a blessing.
I know that we all have struggles and difficulties in our lives, but even at our lowest, we have our lives which is something many people lose every day.
Thanksgiving may be a fading tradition, but I will always choose to celebrate this wonderful season and count every little blessing in my life.
