CHRISTMAS PUMPKINS

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.    Ephesians 5:20 NCV

I love everything about Christmas time.  The sparkle of holiday lights, the smiles on people’s faces, even the cold weather seems festive to me.   But not on the day after Halloween!  On November 1^st, I walked into my local Stuff Mart, and right in the front of the store was a giant Christmas tree next to carts overflowing with marked-down candy corn and costumes.  When did we start going from retail holiday to retail holiday without ever stopping to give thanks?   I distinctly remember a time when displays of ghosts and goblins were replaced by cornucopias and turkey basters.  What happened to Thanksgiving?

I understand the reasons.  Thanksgiving doesn’t generate revenue like Halloween or Christmas.  We buy a turkey and a pumpkin pie, and we’re pretty much done with our Turkey Time spending.  So fearful retailers, desperate for their portion of our discretionary dollar, try to convince us Christmas is here, hoping we’ll fall under their yuletide spell and start spending.  Sorry, guys.  It was 80 degrees here on November 1^st, and no Musak renditions of “Joy to the World” could convince me Christmas had arrived!

As I write this, Thanksgiving is still a week away.  We have a tradition in our house I want to pass on to you.  When we all sit down to our Thanksgiving feast, we go around the table, asking every person to share something they’re thankful for.   By the time we finish, not only are we reminded of all God has done for us in the previous year, but we’re also thankful for His bounty in the lives of others.  Why not try it at your holiday table?  Stuff Mart might skip Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean we must.

Prayer for today:  Father, in every season, You are God, and worthy of our praise and thanks.  Let this year be different for those who are called by Your Name.  Let us keep the “thanks” in Thanksgiving, mindful of our many blessings, and joyfully sharing with those in need.   Amen.