A thankful heart for Advent

      Thanksgiving has come and gone...all too quickly, if you ask me.
      And this afternoon, we collected all the pilgrims, pumpkins, and "Give Thanks" pillows and plates and hauled them all back up to their big old storage bins in the attic.  They won't reappear again until next September.  (Yes, Thanksgiving makes an appearance by mid September in our house--much to my family's chagrin--as I believe in beginning the celebration of Thanksgiving as early as possible.  Why?  Because we all desperately need the reminder for as long as possible to have an attitude of gratitude.  It sure doesn't come naturally--at least not to selfish yours truly!)
      In place of the pilgrims and pumpkins, this afternoon Christmas nativities, stockings, angels, and Carolers began making their way downstairs.  But with each Christmas decoration I brought down, my thankful attitude began deteriorating. Rapidly.
      Before I knew it, I'd forgotten all about gratitude and had begun grumbling.  Thinking junk like: why am I the only one working away here?  As if this was some terrible burden to decorate a house for the coming of Christ!  Am I in the ICU with my sick child?  No.  Visiting a loved one trapped in prison?  No.  Picking up the pieces after a devastating tornado?  Nope. Worrying about how I'm going to feed my starving family?  No again.  Forgive me, Father!
      Yes, we're being catapulted into Christmas with the first Sunday in Advent coming in two--count them, two--days.  And yes, Black Friday always feels like "Behind-the-eight-ball Friday."
      But, wait, wait, wait!   I refuse to let go of a thankful mindset--because thanksgiving changes everything.  And if ever there should be cause for unending, unassailable gratitude, it should be over the celebration of God's greatest of gifts--the Lord Jesus!
      Here's how Noel Piper put it: "There is one thing on our gratitude list that we who are following Christ all have in common: 'Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift.' (2 Cor. 9:15)  Of all people in the world, we have the greatest reason to give thanks to give thanks and an inexpressibly great God who receives our gratitude.  What more could we desire than that hope and salvation? 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!' (I Pet.1:3)"
      Sometimes we forget, don't we?  In all the rush and hoopla and desire to create the "perfect" Christmas for our loved ones, we lose sight of the perfect Gift and the perfect response--gratitude.
      So let's slow down.  Somehow, someway what needs to be done will be done...but far more importantly than purchasing is preparing our hearts.  More important that parties and planning is unhurried time for praise....peace...pursuing Christ in His Word...and purposefully loving the people Christ has graciously placed in our lives.
      Father, don't let Thanksgiving disappear from our hearts and minds.  Rather,  magnify that gratitude and praise in these coming weeks.  Might our Advent this year be a time of enhanced rejoicing in the greatest, inexpressible Gift, so that our thankful lists far outstrip our to-do lists.
      In the words of George Herbert,
         Thou that hast given so much to me,
         Give one thing more--a grateful heart;
         Not thankful when it pleases me,
         As if Thy blessings had spare days;
         But such a heart, whose pulse may by They praise."
Lord, please give us thankful, rejoicing hearts this Christmas...and all year long.
     To God be the glory.