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What's On Your Thanksgiving Menu?
Jon BurgessAnyone with ears? Yep, that's pretty much everyone who was in the crowd that day. He was inviting them to have a conversation about the Kingdom of God. Jesus just wanted to commune with those who were truly seeking salvation. As it turns out though, most everyone was too busy complaining and comparing. John the Baptist didn't eat enough, Jesus ate too much. John spent too much time in the desert, Jesus spent too much time in the houses of sinners. When it was time to celebrate the coming Messiah with a dance they didn't like the song selection. When it was time to mourn the loss of generations who had missed the Messiah they wanted to party like everything was just fine. It was only the truly desperate who had no time to play such games. When you are dying of thirst you don't care what the cup looks like, it's the water inside that matters. When you are dying of hunger you don't compare how much food is on your plate and your neighbors you're just happy someone has heard your cry!
There are three options for your Thanksgiving menu. No, it's not beef, turkey or fish. It's complaining, comparing, or communing. May I suggest the third option? The other two may be our go-to choices, but the chef has freshly prepared a beautiful balance of humor, heart, and truth that will satisfy your hunger in a way the other two simply never could. When our expectations are not met we tend to complain. When our expectations are met but we look at what someone else has experienced comparison steals our joy and leaves us coveting what we don't have. Complaining happens because we don't recognize what we have to be thankful for right in front of us. So the Turkey is dry and the pumpkin pie is burnt. It's who is around the table that matters more then what's on the table. Comparing causes us to never enjoy what's happening in the present. We are always looking for the next thing, the better experience, the bigger payoff and never savoring what we already have been given. Communing is the sweet place of conversation and calm that helps us to soak in the big and small things and thank God for every single one of them. When Jesus asks if we have ears to hear its because He wants to talk with us. He gave us two ears and one mouth to remind us to spend twice as time listening as we do talking.
Father, I'm choosing the third option on the menu for Thanksgiving. Holiday's never go the way I have planned them, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy what I have. You have given me everything I need for life and godliness and going to savor every second I have with the family and friends You have given me. I'm scooping complaining and comparing into the trash and I'm clearing my plate for a big fresh heaping helping of communing with my Creator and the community of faith You have surrounded me with!
