by Rebekah Harvey

Thanksgiving, what do you think of when you hear or read that word? I personally love Thanksgiving day, it is one of my very favorite holidays. I love being together with family, eating way more than I should, sharing delicious desserts and appetizers and playing games and visiting with family. I also enjoy our tradition of going around the table and sharing what we are thankful for. Sometimes coming up with an answer that hasn’t been given can be difficult if you are at the end of the line.

But giving thanks shouldn’t just be left for a single day of the year. There is so much to be thankful for on a regular everyday basis. I want to challenge you to be thankful for the little things, the things that we often don’t notice or easily take for granted until there is a problem or they are no longer available.

One thing I have been trying to remember to be thankful for is a hot shower. I have an opportunity everyday to take a hot shower with clean, running water in privacy. This is something that is not available to all people and I try to remember to be thankful for it. As I look around my house I have so many things to be thankful for, furniture to sit on, food in the refrigerator and pantry, books to read and especially the family that I live with.

We can develop an attitude of gratitude and what better time to start than this Thanksgiving season. Psalm 100 is a great place to find many reasons to be thankful.

“Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5

This Psalm encourages us to thank the Lord for Who He is, this chapter has great reasons to be thankful. It helps us remember to thank the Lord for Who He is when it can be easy to forget that and just put in our request of what we would like Him to do for us.

I ask you to join me in a thanksgiving challenge from Psalm 119:164 “Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.” I am going to set an alarm in my phone for the next week to give thanks to God throughout the day for every two hours as an offering to the Lord and His wonderful goodness. I hope you will join me!