Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/79

Contributor - Robert Westra

Title - Thanksgiving ... To Whom? ... For What?

Topic - Thanksgiving

I ask myself - am I thankful? For what am I thankful? What is thanksgiving? I've heard many sermons and many opinions. Each of us have different ideas of what it means. No, this is not going to be another sermon. I want to share with you, my struggle with this thing called "Thanksgiving". Are you having the same struggle?

Does Thanksgiving mean another carefree weekend? Getting out to the lake? Visiting your brother at the farm?

Have you ever written down all the things you are thankful for? No, I haven't, but maybe I should; but I can't - doing it threatens the loss of my pride - my integrity. Or am I afraid that I might be held accountable for all that I have, or maybe finding out that I didn't do anything to deserve it. I have a fear of admitting Jesus Christ as my Giver. Maybe that is it! I don't want to admit I am dependent on Him for everything ... afraid that even my life is not my own. I don't like to say thank you. It puts me down. Do you remember as a child, how difficult it was to say thank you the first few times, when someone passed the salt to you upon your request? As we get older we find it less difficult to say "Thank you" because it is part of a custom. I do it because it is expected of me, but not because I necessarily mean it. Why? Why is it so difficult, if not impossible to say "Thanks dad .' for teaching me to love my sister when she had pulled a fast one on me?" or to say "Thanks Mom for putting your arm around me and loving me after you had hurt me and later came to me saying, 'I'm sorry, will you please forgive me?' " Why is it so difficult for me to say thank you to my pastor when he corrected me after being caught swearing in anger at someone I hated because he had betrayed me? Oh sure when it is proper to say thank you for the nice hospitality, someone gave, me I can say it without difficulty. It is the proper thing for me to do! But to go to my friend, putting my arm around his neck and just saying, "Thanks Bob, for being my friend," or my other friend and saying, "Thanks Sue for just listening when I poured it all out the other night. Thanks for just listening to me."

But then I am told, Thanksgiving Day is not that. It's the day when I must give God thanks for all "things". It is saying thanks to God for the harvest. Isn't that what the horn of plenty, displayed in front of the church, is saying? And then try to visualize God - God up there somewhere. Yes, I am told that it is my duty to give thanks to that God up there. And if I don't calamity will befall me!! This is what I am told by my pastor, by my Mom and Dad, and/or by my elder. But I ask (not out loud, of course, because this is not proper), "who is God that I should give thanks? Didn't I obtain all these things from my Mom & Dad? Didn't I get my car because Of my working after school? Should I thank that unknown God up there for all this?" "Religion," I say to myself, "is all a farce. I do it because I don't want to let my folks down, or all my friends; or they will not think well of me." So I must play their game - but I begin to wonder: is that right?

I had to find a way out of this prison of "being proper". More thoughts and ideas, "I'll move away ... or just to another part of town." Heh, that's great! No one around to push me into being accountable to that 'God, way up there'. Super idea.

I'm on my own now, but somehow I still don't feel right. Away from home, away from my friends and away from my church. I am alone. Yup, I'm my own boss, but ... Wait ... I'm not alone. Somehow, something in me is still saying, "but you must still say thank you." I shout within myself now, "But I'm not accountable to anyone. I don't have to say thank you to anyone!" But that feeling doesn't go away. I sense in myself, resentment anger - rebellion ... this depression, fear - a sense of being lost. "Oh God", I cry aloud, "help me". My sleep is restless. I'm crying. I'm pleading. Suddenly, to my surprise, I'm praying ... "help me O-Oh God, help me!" Soon I am asleep.

Time to get up now, make my breakfast. Turn the radio on "Now it is time for the 'thought for today' ", the broadcaster says. "I am the bread of life, He that comes unto me will have life and will have it abundantly."I didn't know radios announced things like this. Why did I have to hear it this morning? This bugs me all morning. Oh well, go to work. Time to have lunch. After lunch Mike takes me aside and asks, "Ted, I would like to invite you to a supper we are having at the church tonight. Would you join me?" "But", I stammer, "I don't qo to church Mike." "Oh," replies Mike softly, "I thought you did. Anyway I just thought you might like to come - just asking. If you change your mind, let me know before you go home, OK?" "What is all this about?" I ask myself. Then suddenly I remembered last night "I prayed for help, didn't I?"

"What is thanksgiving? Whom do I thank?" Is that the answer? You bet it is!. Praise the Lord! But I also have discovered what Jesus meant when he said: "When you have done it to the least of these my brothers, (saying thanks, for instance) you have done it unto Me."

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