Thanksgiving Reflections 2023

It’s been a little over a year now since we moved 734 miles away to a new home. It’s taken about that much time to get adjusted to a new home, community, church, job for my husband, and the gift of having my mom live with us. All of these are grace gifts from the Lord for which I give thanks, especially today.

We’ve traveled back to our former community for Thanksgiving to be with family that remains there. Longtime friends welcomed us to stay in their home for the week. I’m always stunned by others’ hospitality to us when we travel back, their willingness to open their beautiful homes to us so graciously and without any obligation. It’s like a retreat to stay there. More grace gifts.

I was thinking this morning about that surprising gift of someone sharing their home. What enables me to have access to such a lovely place, free of charge, without any debt owed, being able to partake of their generous gift and be so blessed? Relationship, friendship. If I didn’t know them, they likely wouldn’t open their home to me! But it’s out of that friendship that this gift is offered.

And how is it accepted? By saying yes, receiving it, realizing I don’t have a way to repay them for this abundant generosity with anything other than thanks and maybe a small gift which can’t begin to measure up to what I’ve been given! It seems almost feeble to leave a small gift and note of thanks.

The Bible is full of parables, stories, analogies, metaphors that give us a glimpse of a greater truth. This sharing of home is a picture to me of a greater truth. Jesus has a home prepared in heaven for us that is beyond comprehension and beyond what I could afford. It’s a home which I could never earn and never repay Him for bringing me into. In that home, the true King Jesus reigns and rules, and we will be set free from all that we struggle with on earth. He invites us to come.

How do I gain access to this heavenly home? Through relationship, friendship. By knowing Christ and receiving His invitation of saving grace. The ultimate grace gift.

John 15:12-17 is a beautiful passage about friendship with God. Jesus says in verse 14 that those who do what He commands are His friends. I want to be His friend; do you? Verses 12-13 tell us what his command is: “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Verse 17 emphasizes it again: “This is my command: Love each other.“

How do we know how to love? We follow Jesus’ own example of love. He laid down His life for us. Why? So that we could know Him, have relationship with Him, and be saved from our sin by faith in Him. In that love and relationship, He will one day welcome us into His perfect and eternal home. I want to be with Him where He is, in an eternal home; do you?

It’s interesting today that in our society, oftentimes, Christians are depicted as hateful. But true Christians will be known by their love. That’s the hallmark of Christianity. A loving God who rescues us, who laid down His very life in love. And He calls us with the two great commandments to love Him and love others. Love.

If people fail to show love, Christ is not to blame. We are. We are sinners in need of His grace gift of salvation.

I myself have failed in this measure of love this past week. When I travel and leave my routine, I find myself often stressed and easily irritated, putting this stress on to those around me. Isn’t that lovely to admit during this beautiful holiday season? I have failed to love as Christ has loved me.

But as I awoke this morning, tempted to wallow in the shame and frustration at my own sin and self and shortcomings, eyes on me, I instead was drawn to worship. Don’t wallow; worship. Don’t look down and around; look up. Don’t remain in the sin; repent and turn again to Christ. For His love for us is so great, He gave His life, a sufficient sacrifice, for sinners like me.

This Thanksgiving, I rejoice in that salvation, in Jesus Christ who saves and loves, who will one day welcome me into His home, not because of what I’ve done, but because of who He is and what He has done. I want to receive this free gift of grace through faith and enjoy all the benefits of knowing Christ as my Savior. I want to turn again for forgiveness in the daily wear and tear of life, not wallowing there, but looking up to worship. On this Thanksgiving, I want to thank the One who is worthy of all my worship.

I pray you have a joyous Thanksgiving, too, giving thanks for gifts such as these today with people you love, in the presence of the King of love.