Shallow Thankfulness

788 Forgive Us, Lord, for Shallow Thankfulness

Forgive us, Lord, for shallow thankfulness,

For dull content with warmth and sheltered care,

For songs of praise for food and harvest press,

While of Your richer gifts we’re unaware:

Teach us to thank You, Lord, for love and grace,

For life and vision, for a purpose clear

For Christ Your Son, and for each human face

That shows Your message ever new and near.

Forgive us, Lord, for selfish thanks and praise,

For words that speak at variance with deeds;

Forgive our thanks for walking pleasant ways

Unmindful of a broken brother’s needs:

Teach us, O Lord, true thankfulness divine,

That gives as Christ gave, never counting cost,

That knows no barrier of “yours” and “mine,”

Assured that only what’s withheld is lost.

Forgive us, Lord, for feast that knows not fast,

For joy in things that meanwhile starve the soul,

For walls and wars that hide Your mercies vast

And blur our vision of the Kingdom goal:

Open our eyes to see Your love’s intent,

To know with minds and hearts its depth and height;

May thankfulness be days in service spent,

Reflection of Christ’s life and love and light.

Text: © 1965, renewed 1993 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000635

The title of this hymn has caught my eye several times and today I spent some time thinking about the message and wondered how ‘deep’ my thankfulness is at times. Of course, I have so many things to be thankful for…so many that I lose count and therefore, lose awareness of the many blessings God has showered upon me.

This Thanksgiving, I want to challenge myself (and maybe you, too) to think a little harder about God’s blessing in my life and maybe be more specific as we go around the table and say something for which we are thankful. Sure, I’m thankful for my husband and family…but why? What qualities has God given them that also bless me…and others? I may be thankful for my job…but why? In what ways has God blessed me through my job and through that job, how has He used me to bless others? Maybe I’m thankful for something as simple as my dog or my garden or a sunset…but what, in particular, blesses me through those simple things? You get the point. Let’s not be too generic in our thanksgiving this year, but take a moment to dig a little deeper to see more of the intricate ways God blesses us in ways both big and small.

Blessings on your Thanksgiving celebrations!

Dawn Lubker, Ministry Assistant