The Privileged Life: How to Capture Thankfulness in the Busyness

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

Has Thanksgiving become a crazy, packed-full weekend for you?

What was a relatively calm holiday in the past has evolved into a madhouse of busyness for many people now…myself included.

Thanksgiving began simply in the 1600s, when some immigrants to our country hosted a dinner to thank God for His provision of a good harvest. Today, it seems we’ve lost almost all remembrance of that celebration.*

Now, it’s a marathon event—long-distance travel, hectic traffic, crowded grocery stores, food preparation for feasting, games, family feuds, last-minute work demands, unexpected illness, Black Friday shopping, football games, parades, and Turkey Trot races. It launches an even busier Christmas season.

The result is non-stop activity…except for the lull after dinner, when the melatonin in the turkey sends you to the couch in a sleepy stupor.

Can we just hit the pause button for a moment and be truly thankful?

I have a few ideas and suggestions for how to make that happen—let’s see how successful we can be:

First, meditate on thankfulness as a mindset for every day, not just at Thanksgiving. Before you get out of bed, thank God for the day ahead, whatever joys or trials He may place before you. Thank Him for His mercies and provisions, new every morning. Practice the presence of God with you at every step, breathing the words “thank You” to Him frequently.
Put out something different to remind you to be thankful this weekend—a Bible verse refrigerator magnet, a sticky note on your car dashboard or work station, an alarm set on your phone, or an adhesive bandage around your finger. It could even be a bowl of M&Ms—to thank God for different blessings with every candy you pop in your mouth!
Take a mini-vacation of 30 minutes or one hour. Set time aside between your weekend activities to be completely by yourself, if possible. Shut off all electronic communications, sequester yourself in a room alone (or use earplugs), and do absolutely nothing for the length of the “vacation”—using the time to read Scriptures about giving praise and thanks to God. Light a candle or listen to soft instrumental hymns. Rest in Him.
Fill your cup with thankfulness. If you’re a coffee or tea or hot-chocolate lover, fill your mug with your favorite hot beverage—maybe with a new flavor—and say a prayer of gratitude with every sip. You can do this all weekend long, whatever you’re doing.
Look for Jesus in every situation, in every person you meet. Many folks—working in public places, fighting the crowds at stores, or making dinner in your home—will be stressed all weekend. Breathe deeply, ask the Holy Spirit to calm your own soul, and look for Jesus in the faces around you. Speak His words of peace to others. Pray for them. Offer to help in a sacrificial way. Leave an unexpected, generous tip. Give hugs. Thank others.

Ultimately, we become thankful when we’re intentional about it. It won’t happen automatically if we’re not deliberate…the whole weekend can zoom by without any thought of being truly grateful to God for His love and grace. I don’t want that to happen for you or for me.

My prayer, then, is that we eagerly look for rest in Jesus this weekend, in thankfulness, recognizing that His love and sacrifice on the cross have given us freedom in Him and assurance of His heaven.

That’s the biggest reason to be thankful. May you be filled to overflowing with gratitude, and may God bless you richly with His peace in the Christmas season ahead.

Wonderful, Merciful Savior—thank You for being my Redeemer and Friend. Thank You for giving me life, friends, family, daily bread, and all the other blessings that You have placed in my path. Thank You for Your word, for the joy of spending time with You, for the opportunities You give me to bless others. May I be forever grateful to You for what You have done for me at the cross. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.

*Here are my thoughts two years ago about celebrating Thanksgiving “like a pilgrim”: https://lightbournecreative.com/2021/11/22/the-privileged-life-celebrate-thanksgiving-like-a-pilgrim/