Thanksgiving, the fifth

The Lord is my Shepherd, Psa. 23:1

As this Thanksgiving holiday comes to an end, I have to say that I am most grateful for my salvation. The grace of God that saved me is the greatest gift in my life, and one for which I will be eternally grateful, no pun intended. (Well, maybe a small pun.)

And speaking of gifts, I love the day of Thanksgiving, for it is the one holiday that our commercial system hasn't been able to corrupt. While our businesses to the shopping days that follow Thanksgiving, American consumerism haven't yet been able to turn the day of Thanksgiving away from its purpose, which is to be thankful. It is hard to commercialize a holiday that makes us grateful. How can we make this a day of coveting when we are giving thanks for what we have?

This year, at our table, I read from Deut. 16, about the feast of Tabernacles, which was Israel's equivalent of Thanksgiving:

13 Thou shalt keep the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in from thy threshing-floor and from thy winepress:
14 and thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
15 Seven days shalt thou keep a feast unto Jehovah thy God in the place which Jehovah shall choose; because Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the work of thy hands, and thou shalt be altogether joyful.

Not fasting, but feasting and joy in the gifts of God were called for during the Feast of Tabernacles. And that is why I rejoice in this day, and make the following my prayer:

"Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing—a grateful heart!"
George Herbert

Here's hoping you had a Happy Thanksgiving, too.