Skipping Thanksgiving

I've had several conversations with people in the past few weeks about Thanksgiving. To many people it's just a day to get off work and eat a lot of food. My daughter said that while in her MOPS group she mentioned that since it really was a Christian holiday we should take time to celebrate it rather than treating it as a jumping off point for the Christmas rush. Apparently one mother had never considered it to be a Christian holiday but just a time to give thanks. As my daughter was relating this to me I wondered who this young mother was giving thanks to. If we don't give thanks to God for our ancestors who sacrificed to make this country, if we don't give thanks to God for our freedom and our life, if we don't give thanks to God for the gift of salvation...then really what is the point?

This leads me to my subject. Are we as Christians guilty of skipping Thanksgiving? I have several friends who have already or are this weekend decorating for Christmas? They are putting up their lights and their trees...the whole ball of wax. Of course the store are already full of Christmas. Heaven forbid we don't make maximum use of that seasonal spending! Many people I know are completly done with their Christmas shopping. Even the holiday home tours and craft shows are before Thanksgiving.

I just want to stop everyone and shake them and say "It's okay, we don't have to skip Thanksgiving to have a memorable Christmas!!"  I want to focus on the gifts that God has given us throughout the past year, to focus on how blessed we are and give God the credit. And you know what? Christmas will still be there after Thanksgiving is gone. I will still have time to bake cookies, shop for presents, trim that tree. I will still have an entire month to listen to Christmas music and teach the boys about Jesus coming to earth to save people from their sins. Just for now...for the next week I want to focus on being thankful. I plan to savor Thanksgiving.