Thankful For What?

American Thanksgiving

November 28, 2013  

 Thanksgiving usually carries with it a picture of a roasted turkey dinner with all the trimmings (for some it may be ham) and of course pumpkin pie. The little church where I grew up in Nova Scotia Canada would decorate her sanctuary with a table upfront full of vegetables and fruit local to the area. On the window sills there would be bottles of preserves and brightly colored leaves. There might even be a few bales of hay around the perimeter of the sanctuary. The fruit, the vegetables, the preserves and the hay reminded us all that it was Fall, that it was the harvest season and that we had much for which to be thankful.

   Well, we don’t all come from farms or small towns so the traditions and decorations of the harvest season may vary for many of us. Yet, the one thing that will tie us all together is the spirit of thanksgiving over whatever it is that we might be grateful for.

   Some, as they reflect back over the year past might be wondering what it is they have to be thankful for. This has been a rough year for some. Maybe someone lost a job or knows someone who has? Perhaps they have experienced a serious health issue or know of someone close to them who has. Financially, it has been tough on many. In times like this it is difficult to be like the Apostle Paul who declared in his letter to the Philippians; “I have learned to be content with whatever I have.”

   Allow me to share with you four brief little stories (all of them true) that might help each of us to be thankful for what we have rather than lament over what we don’t have.

   The first story is for those who have found themselves to be financially hard pressed this past year and wondering what there is to be grateful over.

   It’s the story of an Englishman by the name of Matthew Henry. He was a preacher and well-known Bible scholar who lived from 1662 to 1714. His exposition of the Old and New Testament is a commentary that is still in print to this very day.

   One day Matthew Henry was riding his horse through the woods. He was on his way to a church meeting where he was going to be the guest speaker. Suddenly, a masked bandit ran out of the woods with a gun in his hand and demanded that Matthew Henry get off of his horse. Mr. Henry obeyed the robber, as he knew this was a dangerous situation. Even though he tried to talk to the man about God and spiritual matters, the bandit would hear none of it. He quickly took all of Matthew Henry’s money and ran back into the woods. It all happened so quickly that Mr. Henry hardly had time to realize what had happened. Although he was penniless, he got back on his horse and continued on his journey.

His mind took him to the thought that we are supposed to give thanks in everything that happens to us. He asked God how he was supposed to be thankful for being robbed! As he continued on his way, the answer came to him. That night he told the story and concluded his message by sharing the reason he could be thankful for what had happened to him that day.

“First,” he said, “I am thankful I have never been robbed before. Second, I am thankful he took my money and not my life. Third, I am thankful he did not take more; he could have taken my horse and my clothes as well. Next, I am thankful that what I had stolen from me really did not amount to very much. Then I am grateful that what I lost, in time, could be replaced. But, finally, and most importantly, I am thankful that I was the one robbed and not the robber!”

The second story is for those who have often wished for better health.

   A 12 year old boy named David was born without an immune system. He underwent a bone marrow transplant in order to correct the deficiency. Up to that point he had spent his entire life in a plastic bubble in order to prevent exposure to common germs, bacteria, and viruses that could kill him. He lived without ever knowing human contact. When asked what he'd like to do if and when released from his protective bubble, he replied, "I want to walk barefoot on grass, and touch my mother's hand."

Erma Bombeck wrote in her book. An estimated 1.5 million people are living today after bouts with breast cancer. Every time I forget to feel grateful to be among them, I hear the voice of an eight-year-old named Christina, who had cancer of the nervous system. When asked what she wanted for her birthday, she thought long and hard and finally said, "I don't know. I have two sticker books and a Cabbage Patch doll. I have everything!" The kid is right declared Bombeck.

   Finally, a story for those who will find time to complain over just about every thing that I haven’t mentioned thus far; the weather, the traffic, the neighbors, the job and the list goes on.

   A Scottish minister by the name of Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought to himself, "Certainly the preacher won't think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this." Much to his surprise, however, Whyte began by praying, "We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this."

   My prayer for all of you today is that you might have the grace of the Apostle Paul who was able to be content and give thanks to God for whatever state he found himself in. May you experience God’s blessings this Thanksgiving and always.