Honor and Praise

Many of you are dreading this Thursday, the day of preparing, cooking and being with 'all those' folks! Many of you are looking forward to the day of the feasting and being with family and friends. 

In looking back over the past few years, I can see all the ways God has truly blessed me and my family. He has protected us from tornadoes, healed us from motorcycle wrecks, blessed us with new babies and even college graduations. Many of you have been a part of this and have prayed along with us during all of these times. 

Why do we designate a day of 'stress' to be thankful? Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated on the last Thursday of November, since declaration by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It was to be day of praise and honor to our Father in heaven. 

Let us look at this a little closer now.... a day to praise and honor our Father in heaven. I am wondering how many of us stop to pray as we rush off to the store to buy all the fixings and baste the turkey one last time? How many of us pray instead of agonize, 'is she going to bring that awful congealed salad again?' 

Being from the south, I by no means want to dampen your beautifully set table, with the flora arrangement so tall, and the candles perfectly placed in their silver candelabras! The beauty can be almost as good as the taste! But, what I am saying is to slow down, everything does not have to be perfect to the point that you are not enjoying it yourself. 

When time comes to sit down for the meal, it seems to happen so quickly, no one remembers who made all this stuff anyway! When the day is over, the kitchen is cleaned and all the leftovers are put away, we realize we had plenty of food and it is finally over.

The purpose of Thanksgiving is just what it says, to praise and honor the Father. You know what? He will remember if we honored Him or not. He will be glorified in all we do, if we do it for Him. 

Don't miss the real blessing of this Thursday by letting this opportunity, declared by Old Abe, slip by. Stop in the middle of the morning, give a little praise to Him. Stop in the middle of stirring that gravy and take a deep breath, thanking Him. Listen to the chatter of those around you, thank Him for them. When you sit down and start to say the blessing over the meal, don't just let someone do it, but pray in your own soul and spirit. Let Him know you are truly thankful for what you have, no matter how little or how great. 

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Rev 4:11
  

Remember Honor and Praise HIM
Happy Thanksgiving! 
gs