Thankful for food, glorious food!

      Hot dog--it's the first day of one of the best weeks of the year--Thanksgiving.  Oh how I love this joyful holiday!  No freezing cold temperatures (well, usually--sorry Buffalo).  No frenzied schedules.  No frantic present-buying...not yet, anyway.
      Instead, it's a joyful time of children returning home...of families reunited...of pilgrims and pumpkins...of relaxing and reminiscing by glowing fires...of hearts overflowing with thankfulness...and, of course, of food, or in the immortal words of Oliver, "food, glorious food!"  Seriously, what's not to love about Thanksgiving?

      (a tiny slice of heaven)
      Jon Bloom apparently shares my love of all things Thanksgiving--and especially the food.  He writes, "The traditional American Thanksgiving meal featuring turkey and all the fixings that go with it is my favorite meal.  Period.  [And all God's people shouted, AMEN!]...But eating something you love on Thanksgiving is exactly what you should do because Thanksgiving is not about the feast of food.  Thanksgiving is about feasting on the manifold, abundant, overflowing, all-sufficient grace of God in all that He is for us and all that He has done, is doing, and promises to do for us.  An abundant, delicious feast of food is intended to be a symbol, a small picture, a momentary experience of what God's grace is like.  It is to help us 'taste and see that the Lord is good!'(Ps.34:8)"
      "In other words," Bloom says, "the food is meant to fuel our thanksgiving, not be the focus of thanksgiving."  
      What a beautiful picture of God's abundant grace--that dining room table laden with sweet potato casserole, dressing, spinach casserole, rolls, turkey, pumpkin pie and, of course, chocolate cake.  All lovingly prepared by the hands of those dearest to us.  All savored and shared by the irreplaceable gift of family and friends so graciously given to us by God.
      And what a Creator to make such a variety of food...and to make it taste so delicious!  You know, the Lord could have just made a standard, one-size-fits-all kind of food...something to fill us up and fuel us for our activities.  But He didn't.  He made all kinds of foods--salty, sweet, savory, creamy, crunchy, and everything in between!  It occurred to me I'd forgotten to thank Him for that glorious variety.
      Has it occurred to you that our Father also didn't have to create us with taste buds?  Oh aren't you so thankful that He did?!  The delectable smell and taste of food and the delightful sharing of it with those we love are just more gifts from His relentlessly generous and good hands.
      But it should all, all, all point us to the One who is the Source and Sustainer of every good thing in our lives...beginning, of course, with the gift of the Lord Jesus.  He is our Bread of Life who always satisfies and never fails.
      So this Thanksgiving, let's pause to be thankful for the food that should "fuel our thanksgiving" by pointing us to the glorious grace and infinite generosity of our Heavenly Father.  Oh might we daily "taste and see" how good and great He is...in His Word, in His Son, in His salvation, in His sovereign and perfect plans.
      To God be the glory.