Thanksgiving At The Table Of Grace

Thanksgiving always has a way of reminding us to stop for a moment and breathe. Life comes at us fast, and yet this season nudges us back to the basics. Family. Food. Faith. The small things we sometimes rush past without noticing.

Psalm 100 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever.” That is the heart of this holiday. Gratitude is not about pretending everything is perfect. It is about remembering that God’s goodness carries us even when life feels heavy.

This year has been different for many of us. Some of us are celebrating big milestones. Some of us are holding on by the thinnest thread. Some tables will feel full. Others will feel noticeably quieter. No matter what the day looks like for you, God meets you right there.

Scripture reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5, “In everything give thanks.” Not for everything, but in everything. Gratitude becomes an act of trust. It says, “Lord, even here, You are with me.”

And as James 1 reminds us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” Think about the gifts that got you through this year—people who stood by you, moments of unexpected peace, doors that opened when they shouldn’t have, and strength you didn’t know you had. Those weren’t accidents.

So as you gather this Thanksgiving

Offer a prayer of thanks for the people at your table
Ask God to bring healing where it is needed
Invite Christ into your home with a grateful heart

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” When gratitude leads the way, peace tends to follow right behind it.

My prayer for you this Thanksgiving is that your home will be filled with warmth, that your heart will rest in God’s steady love, and that the coming year will bring renewal in all the right places.

Happy Thanksgiving
May your meal be delicious and may God’s grace be the real feast

— Father Michael Parks