“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.” (Nehemiah 12:27 NIV)
It seems to take forever to make decisions about the Thanksgiving holiday, at least at our house. What are we going to put on the menu? What are we going to leave off the menu? It’s not like we are doing this celebration for the first time. After all, we have a tradition don’t we?
We always have trouble deciding where we are going to assemble. What member of the family will host it this year? Shall we eat out this year or let mom cook? How many will come? Who’s not going to come? While these are important issues to negotiate, we all know the anguish of trying to please everybody.
It really is funny, you know, because everyone knows what he/she wants, but no one wants to make the decision about what to eat, where to eat it, and when to begin. While it may seem harsh, there might be some wisdom in simply inviting the extended family to join us at a designated place and time for a joyful celebration of our blessings. At least there would be less decisions.
Thanksgiving is dedicated to celebrating every blessing of life we have received over the past year. It is more fun when filled with joyful music and song. By definition, this celebration is not dull and boring or strained and sad. We might not want to add cymbals and harps or lyres to our family time, but a lot of joy would certainly add meaning to our gratitude.
Like Nehemiah, we might want to focus on one blessing and celebrate it fully. Maybe we could seek out special friends and family members to join in our celebrations. Who knows, we might have a really good time – a thankful time – after all.
Dear Father, thank you for your blessings we have received this year. Empower us to celebrate together with the joy and music of thanksgiving. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today as you prepare for the music of Thanksgiving,