A Socially Distant Thanksgiving?
As many of us prepare for the holiday this week I want to encourage you all to be careful. I know some of you may choose to visit family or even travel out of town, but please do your best to stay safe. I also know many of you have chosen to stay home and avoid the large family gatherings. This decision might make you feel less thankful this thanksgiving, but I want to remind all of us about what thanksgiving is. Not the holiday of Thanksgiving, but the word thanksgiving. The word thanksgiving is defined as the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God. It is not intended to be just a day that we celebrate on the last Thursday in November, but a way of being.
So how do we display thanksgiving in our lives when it seems so much more difficult this year? Well here are a few socially distant ideas that you can use this Thanksgiving:
Social Media Gratefulness
Use social media to post what your thankful for. Post daily Bible verses about giving thanks or mindfulness — “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Ask friends to add a word or photo about what they are thankful for.
Out of the mouths of babes
Children’s perspectives are so honest and unique they provide excellent food-for-thought for adults and kids alike. As a family project, have children draw pictures of things (people or pets) for which they are thankful. Ask them to find photos or images of things they appreciate and ask them why they are grateful. Their reasons will no doubt amuse and inspire. To add the socially distant element, have them FaceTime or Zoom family members to tell them what they are thankful for.
Grateful conversations
Sometimes when adults get together in conversations online, we can focus on the challenges we have. It is easy to complain about what is not going well; what if you started every conversation by asking what is going right?
Post it
Not everyone is on Social Media, but as an added visual for your family, why not clear a bulletin board or put up a presentation board for “thank you notes.” Just write, “What are you thankful for?” at the top, put out lots of large sticky notes and some pens and see what happens.
Thanks for a shut-in
Churches are often a main connection to community for members who cannot be physically present in your congregation. We can’t visit in-person and phone calls are wonderful, but why not send a note expressing that you are thankful for them? Everyone needs to feel needed. Someone who is ill or not able to be there to lend a hand will know their membership, prayers, and support are still needed and appreciated.
Give thank you cards to your family
Have you told them lately that you love them? Make it official with a card.
Gratitude is an amazing lens with which to view the world. When we focus on our blessings, we tend to be happier. When we realize how much we possess, we tend to be more thoughtful of those who have less. When we talk about the good together, we tend to appreciate each other more. Do you have any other ideas to share? Post them to our Church Facebook page or send them to me and I will post them.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
