The gathering happened two days before Thanksgiving.
Every year, the small churches in the town where I preached gathered for a community Thanksgiving service. Different churches hosted the event, and pastors rotated preaching. A time of fellowship and food followed. Then we went home, often never to see each other again until we had our annual community Easter celebration.
Despite the brevity of our time together—and the fact that we probably wouldn’t see each other for four or five months—I eagerly awaited this gathering each year. Thanksgiving tops my list of favorite annual holidays, and spending a few moments with people from different races, nationalities, and social levels made it even more enjoyable.
I don’t know in what season of the year Paul wrote the above command, but he knew nothing about a Thanksgiving holiday. He didn’t need one. He had learned to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). And God’s will is for every believer to realize the same.
I think those types of community Thanksgiving events will mirror heaven. A place where race, nationality, wealth, mistakes, emotional states, and age no longer separate God’s people. A day when the words of Martin Luther King Jr. will finally come true: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
But the gathering is about more than the mixture and the breaking down of barriers. A myriad of conditions peppered the lives of all who gathered. Regardless, we lifted our voices to the God who controlled our circumstances and whom we believed presented Himself in all our situations. Our voices blended as we praised Him through song. They synced as we said “Amen” to the truths heard from His Word.
The Thanksgiving season reminds us that God’s plan is always best—regardless of the path we must follow to realize it. God doesn’t expect us to be happy about tragedy and heartache, but we can be satisfied in trying situations when we remember He’s in control, has our best interests at heart, and controls the intensity and time of our travels.
Celebrate Thanksgiving by gathering with others to thank God together.
Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of the internationally recognized website, Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editors’ network). Wiles is a multi-published author. His most recent book, Hurt, Hope and Healing: 52 Devotions That Will Lead to Spiritual Health, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at [email protected].