What a pity it would be to be an atheist on Thanksgiving, to be socially bound to pause and take inventory of all your blessings, all your gifts, all your privileges, and all the little happy moments that have come your way over the past year… what a pity it would be to be an atheist on Thanksgiving, to have so much for which to be thankful, and no one to thank.
On Thanksgiving, God willing, we will all sit around some table, admiring some great spread of food, surrounded by some measure of loved ones and family, and we will—God willing—lift up our eyes and thank, not our lucky stars, but the God who made the stars, who made the worlds, and who made each of us, and who cares for us with tender affection and constant attention.
On Thanksgiving, it’s almost certain to be the case, that there will be people gathering around a table, ready to feast, joined by family and friends…. and what will be missing? The Lord is above them, but not welcome among them. They will have no words of thanks, no thoughts of gratitude, no mention of blessings or consideration of gifts. It may be a day full of laughter and cheer, but without God, it will be a lonely time. It will be a meal that fills the belly, but cannot fill the emptiness in the soul. It will be a day of fellowship with kin, but no amount of time spent with father and mother, sister and brother can compare to the peace that one has when he has Jesus for a brother and God for a Father.
On Thanksgiving, I hope you will count your blessings, for they are numerous. Some will have to look harder than others to find them, but they are there. Some may have more than others, but it’s not a competition; it’s a chance for celebration. We all have reasons to rejoice. Make sure you do.
Usually, these sorts of pre-Thanksgiving devotionals focus on the specific blessings we have, but I don’t want to do that. I just want to be thankful, and that means having someone to thank. Because I could have all the riches and glory of this world, all the friends that this life could afford me, and all the delights my heart could ever desire, but if I didn’t have a God to thank for them, I would be too lonely to want to finish that thought.
What a pity it would be to be an atheist on Thanksgiving, to be socially bound to pause and take inventory of all your blessings, all your gifts, all your privileges, and all the little happy moments that have come your way over the past year… what a pity it would be to be an atheist on Thanksgiving, to have so much for which to be thankful, and no one to thank.
~Matthew