God’s word tells us thanksgiving is often times a sacrifice.
I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:17
I love how God reminds us Thanksgiving is often times sacrificial – not something we want to do and many times tough to do. The word sacrifice means to yield or surrender.
Do you have a perfect Thanksgiving gathering in mind? Surrender your perfect for God’s perfect.
Sacrifice Meal Perfection
I’ve experienced a few turkey-flops. One year, I was inspired to paint my kids turkey-hands on all the dinner plates. When our Thanksgiving meal rolled around, I sat in horror as my Grandma picked up a fork-full of mashed potatoes…along with the painted red wattle (that red thing that hangs off a turkey neck) and stuffed it into her mouth.
Apparently, the heat from our Thanksgiving feast made the non-toxic paint on the plates removable and unbeknownst to my company, edible.
Then there was the year my guests gathered around as I opened the oven door to reveal plumes of thick black smoke. We evacuated the house in record time. My husband’s 85yr old Grandmother is quite the sprinter.
Sacrifice People Traps
If you come from a family of opinionated people – you’ve had your fair share of awkward Thanksgiving moments. My side of the family doesn’t talk politics or religion, which helps keep things light. While, my husbands family is the polar opposite. They LOVE to debate politics and don’t agree with ours. With the political climate in America becoming more polarized, this conversation is not something I recommend partaking in.
As a matter of fact, I highly discourage falling into this trap. If you find yourself walking down this path, yield and surrender! Have a game to play, a puzzle to put together, or divert a blow-up and give that one relative the honor of making the gravy–but by all means DO NOT fall prey to a heated debate about the failings of Obamacare. Be humble and let your relative get the last word. Sacrifice it unto the Lord.
God’s word says to offer Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving. “Offer it up.” My Aunt Judy likes to remind me. “Give it to the Lord.” She always adds.
No matter what happens tomorrow, remember that God tells us sacrifice is a part of thanksgiving. So, don’t hesitate to call on the name of the Lord. After all, no one understands sacrifice like Jesus does. He is ready and waiting to rescue you from anything – even Aunt Mabel’s sweet potato casserole.
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