I’ve grown to really like this time of year. Sure, I could do without the Christmas music and mass-consumerism every winter brings, but I enjoy the beauty of the season alongside the charity and thankfulness that permeates this time of year. As a holiday, Thanksgiving may have questionable origins; it may even be built upon events we might now find darker than the stories of our childhood. But we bring our own meaning to holidays, and Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to think on the many ways we’ve been blessed and remember our Father, the giver of all good things.

The life of a Christian is one of thankfulness. I Thessalonians says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” And this comes from an apostle who really did deal with a variety of life circumstances — highs and lows, freedom and imprisonment, successes and failures. David also experienced his shares of joys and troubles in this life, and he wrote, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever,” in Psalm 136. Finally James says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change,” in James 1:17.

As a child of Christ, Thanksgiving is more than a day. It is a way of life. It is my identity. I should be living every day thankful for the blessings I have from my Father and for the redemption I find in Him. Then, if I’m grateful for His gifts, I’m sharing them with others. What better way to show gratitude to our God than by sharing His blessings and His hope with others on a daily basis? It’s great to have this day where we can gather with family and friends to remember our blessings, but the way I live my life is the greatest thanksgiving I can give.