The joy of giving thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love the American holiday of Thanksgiving—a time set apart for family, friends, feasting, and turning our hearts toward gratitude. Living in the UK, we’ll host our gathering on Saturday, but we’re grateful to be able to go to the service at St. Paul’s Cathedral this morning to sing our praises to God and give him thanks in that glorious setting. How amazing to have this opportunity on a day that’s otherwise just a normal day in Britain.

I recently moaned in my newsletter how Black Friday is such a thing that we’ve imported here while not bringing in the wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving. Lots of my lovely community reminded me what I did know but had overlooked in the early-morning drafting of that missive—American Thanksgiving was modeled on the festival of Harvest. This holiday has been very important especially in rural communities, where farmers and people of all kinds come together in church to present their offerings of grain, fruit and other produce as a way to say thanks to God. You can read more about the origins of Thanksgiving in my first book, Finding Myself in Britain—an excerpt is here.

Wherever we are in the world, we can stop and give thanks. I suggested some ways to do so in my newsletter:

1. Set a timer for a couple of times a day and stop and give thanks for one or two things. Doing so will orient your outlook and help you feel more grateful; you’ll notice more good things as you go about your day.
2. Write a text, email, or good old-fashioned note expressing your thanks for someone. Be specific in naming how they’ve brought you joy or hope.
3. Go on a wonder walk, asking God to inspire you to be thankful. It helps if you can explore somewhere amazing, but even in a grimy city you’ll notice flashes of beauty—someone smiling, the note of birdsong, a flower or a snow-covered scene.

I pray you will find much to give thanks for!

[Art by Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.]