In A Charlie Brown Thanks-giving, Pepper-mint Patty, who has just embarrass-ed herself by complain-ing about the lousy Thanksgiving dinner that Snoopy prepared (never mind that a dog and bird prepared it)--a dinner to which she invited herself, Linus explains why we have Thanksgiving and that our country was the first to have such a holiday. Peppermint Patty started grumbling. She's a complainer. She's not thankful. C.H. Spurgeon once said that there is no grumbling or murmuring in the ranks of heaven. The angels wouldn't think of it. The angels who did think of it, no longer inhabit heaven. They were cast out. They looked upon the splendor and majesty of the Almighty and grumbled. They worshipped themselves instead. This is why I have slowly learned that grumbling and complaining make me just like my adversary. When I give in to an attitude of grumbling, I am doing exactly what he did.This really hit me last night. A great deal of my spiritual sword fighting goes on at the kitchen sink. We have an automatic dishwasher, but for some reason I always wash dishes in the sink. I have a lot of time to think there. It seems like every time I pass the sink, there are dishes to be washed. I was tired last night, and my first thought was, "How can there be more dishes to wash? I JUST washed a sink full!" Call it what you will, but I stopped cold right after that thought and began preaching to myself, "No Amber. Be thankful. Do not give in to this. It will only turn your thoughts to yourself and it's all up hill after that." I then turned my thoughts to God, "Thank you Father, for a happy home this autumn night and for the dishes that are here because of the good food we had to eat and the fellowship we were privileged to enjoy. Thank you for my life. I have nothing to give but thanksgiving." This led me to remember a passage in 1 Chronicles 29: 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. Even "my" thanksgiving did not originate with me. It is a wonderful, shackle breaking gift from God. In all things give thanks. Instead of being anxious, give thanks. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Enter His courts with thanksgiving.
EVERYTHING, I have and am, is from the Great Sovereign LORD. He gives me thanksgiving as a great ladder to climb up and out of the idolatry pit and to turn my face toward Him. Stopping to be thankful will always change my heart, mind and focus. Always. God gives me thanksgiving as a way out of grumbling so that I will not be like my adversary. He gives me Christ who gave thanks in ALL things. Thank you God. Thank you for thankfulness.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Amber
