Thanksgiving 2018
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and Happy Thanksgiving Day.
It really is a happy day! God’s so good; He gives so many blessings, so many gifts. But I remember one Thanksgiving when my happiness was tinged with a very sweet sadness. It was when I was still going through chemotherapy after surgery for stage 3 cancer. My sister Kathy had come out to California to help Ken take care of me. It was so, so wonderful to have her with us, not only helping with my chemo and hospital visits, but with things like, well, getting everything ready; doing the shopping, folding towels and helping plan the meal for Thanksgiving Day. She planned to leave and go back home after the holiday, and that made our Thanksgiving meal around the table so much more poignant, all the more sweet. I knew I would miss my sister. And at that point, not even knowing if we’d gotten all the cancer; not knowing if I would even be around for the next year’s Thanksgiving, my sister Kathy’s presence was so precious, so heartbreakingly wonderful.
So, you can imagine that particular Thanksgiving Day was filled to overflowing with gratitude. Jesus thank you surgery was behind me, I’m undergoing treatment, but I’m on the mend, hopes are rising, and I’m surrounded by my family. It was the best of days. The best of Thanksgivings! There’s a Bible verse that speaks to this particular kind of gratitude. Psalm 50, verse 23 where it says, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me.” Isn’t that a great verse? How does it relate to my Thanksgiving Day? Well, I could have easily been anxious and full of fear; I could have been filled with worry, distracted by all the gloomy statistics about cancer recovery. I could have just been plain sad and discouraged for having to go through it all. I could have been sad that my sister was going to be leaving in just a day or two. But my family and I chose to trust in the Lord and look on the bright side. In that regard, we were offering thanksgiving as a true sacrifice. It wasn’t easy, but we were going to trust and be grateful in the Lord. And in so doing, our gratitude that Thanksgiving Day was not merely external. It was gratitude felt in the heart. That is the only kind of sacrifice that pleases him. When we do it from the heart. Like the Bible says, a broken heart, O God, you are not going to despise. It’s the kind of heart that can truly feel gratitude for grace. God is so much more glorified when we say thank you from a heart that’s been broken; a heart that through trial or troubles willingly and gladly yields to the Lord.
It’s Thanksgiving Day, but you may be going through a tough time right now – maybe a death in the family or cancer, or some other grief or loss. If so, let God turn your sorrow into a glad submission today. Give Him your fears and discouragements, releasing the Holy Spirit to then fill your heart with the special grace of gratitude. Honestly, it’ll be what makes this special day a time of deep thankfulness from the heart. One more thing, if you know someone who is struggling with a hard trial, then after today’s turkey dinner and pumpkin pie; after dishes are done, how about sharing today’s program with them. Share it with your Facebook friend who is hurting right now. And while you’re on Facebook, tell us about what you are most thankful to God for this season. And if you are the one going through that hard trial, then let us know how we can pray for you. We are soon entering the Christmas season, a time when our Joni and Friends staff prays specifically for our supporters and friends. So, let us know your prayer request today either on Facebook, or at joniradio.org. And have a GREAT Thanksgiving Day.
© Joni and Friends
