Thanksgiving, Then Christmas

I'm sure all of you know that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas, right? But have you ever noticed that? I mean, have you ever thought about it?

I know they were both set on their appointed dates for important reasons, but have you ever taken into account that Thanksgiving is before Christmas? I'm sure it's more than a ploy to try and tempt children out of their numerous Christmas list items. But as soon as I saw this from a new perspective, I started wondering if it had any significance.

Christmas is after Thanksgiving, but shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, Christ came down to earth, making it the first ever Christmas day! That's a good reason to be thankful!
Perhaps so, but I think of something else as I ponder this food for thought. What if we are supposed to be thankful before Christ comes? What if we are to thank Him before His blessings, and trust Him to follow through with them? What if we are to give thanks, and have a heart of gratitude without knowing for sure we are going to be rewarded? It's easy to be thankful during Thanksgiving and Christmas (presents, family, and food are in abundance), but what about the rest of the time? And what about the time in between? I think Thanksgiving is a gentle reminder that starts off the holiday season, reminding those to be grateful for what Christ did for us. It points us in the right direction, reminding us that He didn't have to save us. And those days in between Christmas and Thanksgiving should be a time of heart preparation for the greatest blessing of all: Jesus Christ.

So as you get ready for Thanksgiving this week (and enjoy a couple days off from school!), take the time to be truly thankful, and ask God to give you a thankful spirit throughout the year.

Thanks for reading. :)

Princess Catherine ~*~