I don’t mean that we ought to celebrate the actual holiday every day, but if we could glean from all the traditions we love about Thanksgiving, and incorporate those elements into our daily routines, imagine how much better this world could be.
The key element of Thanksgiving and all of the other holidays is that we actually take the time to slow down.
We are a society of overworked people. We work days and weeks on end, packing our days with chores, errands, projects, and other obligations.
When do we ever have time to just slow down? I don’t know about you, but I often relate to Martha when Jesus came to visit her and her sister, Mary, in Luke 10:38-42.
Martha did what most of us would probably do in that situation, rushing around making sure everything is just right for our special guest. Get some tea going, warm up some bread, start making dinner... “Oh, is that dust on the mantle? Nothing but the best for my Lord."
Yet, I long to be more like Mary, just sitting at Jesus’ feet, worshiping Him and soaking in His presence.
Jesus would much rather Martha come to sit with him than watch her rush around in a flurry of activity. He said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)
Likewise, rather than making sure we check off every item on our daily to-do list, God would rather we slow down and just spend time with him and the people in our family and community.
I want to encourage you to celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving all year long. Let’s be a society of people that slows down as we learn to practice thanksgiving daily.
“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 ESV
Here are six tips for practicing thankfulness year-round: