My Thanksgiving Day
What can you say about your past Thanksgiving Days? Is it just about eating and football? Does one Thanksgiving slide into the next annual feast, with the question, who won?
With joy, I learn one family pauses before prayer to share the things they are most thankful for.
When a child begins to pray for the joys, the creation, and the daily food each day, he learns to be thankful and more aware. The spirit of being grateful is greater than the spirit of the complaining heart.
Is Thanksgiving, one day a year, enough to count blessings? The one who follows Jesus, our Lord, our thankfulness begins as we awaken. One day the Eternal God scooped dirt out of the ground, sculpted it into the shape we call human, breathed the breath that gives life into the nostrils of the human, and the human became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 (The Voice). Each breath we take comes from our Lord on High.
Anna Daisy (Mom) begins her poem with the understanding of Praise and Thanksgiving – “Lord, today I bring my offering – As a sacrifice of praise. Let my life proclaim thanksgiving. Honor Him in all my ways. All my heart should live thanksgiving; Pleasing God in everything.”
Who is our ultimate Lord and Master? Who sends the sunshine, the rain, and the harvest grown by His Hand? Mom answers: He’s my Savior, Christ Redeemer, He’s my Master, Lord, and King. There is no other One. Yet, our Lord waits for us to come to Him. He wants to heap his blessings of love and compassion upon us. (Isaiah 30:18-19). God created everything through Him,
and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. John 1:3-4
In this era of doubt and cynicism, who speaks the truth? In John 14:16-17, Jesus tells us, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him because He lives with you now and later will be in you.”
When we believe in our Savior, Lord, and King, we begin a journey of praise. Following is only part of belief, there is trusting Him, too. When we truly trust and obey God, we follow and do not demand our own way, but His. Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34.
Who strengthens us daily as we praise Him? But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Anna Daisy ends this poem with ‘songs in the deepest night…” and a declaration of her unending faith. Ephesians 1:2-4 – May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Now, her life, faith, and thanksgiving are at Home with our Lord and King.
My Thanksgiving Day
Lord, today I bring my offering
As a sacrifice of praise.
Let my life proclaim thanksgiving
Honor Him in all my ways.
All my heart should live thanksgiving;
Pleasing God in everything.
He’s my Savior, Christ Redeemer,
He’s my Master, Lord, and King.
What will center my thanksgiving,
Family, loved ones, games, or food?
Will I thank the Lord, eternal
Who turns tragedy into good?
Have I counted all my blessings
God bestowed on me this year?
Let my heart take time to know,
Every gift He gives is dear.
Is one day a year sufficient
Thanks when Christ’s death set me free?
I will love Him for salvation
Since that love includes me,
God’s own Spirit guides me daily
Gives me songs through deepest night.
He alone has power eternal,
Leading me to Heaven’s light.
Anna Daisy Siemens
Comments? eacombs@att.net