Well, I'm ready for Thanksgiving! (Take out napkin and lay across lap — or tuck into shirt collar for a little humor; hold knife in one hand and fork in the other.) Isn't this how you get ready for Thanksgiving?
That is one part of Thanksgiving, isn't it? Many of us will enjoy a nice dinner with family and friends; maybe some turkey and dressing, some vegetables, even a little pumpkin pie. What's your favorite food to eat on Thanksgiving? (let kids respond)
The name of the holiday tells us there's something more to it than stuffing our faces, doesn't it? It says "thanks" and "giving." What does it mean to give thanks?
Being thankful means remembering that what we have and what we are is partly the result of how others have helped us — our parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, teachers, Sunday School leaders, and lots of other people. We appreciate what they've done for us — we give thanks.
And the Thanksgiving season is a good time to tell those people how much you appreciate what they've done for you. This week, why don't you agree to thank at least three people for something they've done for you? Can you do that?
Of course, no one has done more for us than God. He created us, has provided this wonderful world in which we live, has given us so much because of His great love for us. Right now, let's get a head start on Thanksgiving by thanking God for all He has done for us. Let's bow our heads and pray together.
"Dear God. We thank you for your wonderful love for us, and the way you show your love in so many ways. Thank you for parents, teachers, friends, and others who help us. Thank you for sending Jesus to give us a speial relationship with you. And help us to be the kind of friends that others will be thankful for. In Jesus' name, Amen." (JMD)
