Thanksgiving is one week away. And I love it! It’s probably strange for a Christian, a pastor moreover, to say that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. After all, shouldn’t Christmas or Easter be one of my favorites? But, in my life, Thanksgiving has captured my heart for two reasons. First of all, my family had a great tradition around the holiday. Every year, we would take five days and head up to a cabin in Lake Tahoe. The cabin was filled with a dozen friends, and all together we would celebrate together. Most family’s traditions center around food, football, and a parade, but not in our family. To be sure, we had plenty of food, but there was no TV at this cabin. No football. No parade. The days were filled with music, books, and walks. The nights were filled with fires, games, and talent shows.

The first Thanksgiving I remember at a cabin my sister and I got to sleep in a walk-in closet; it was awesome! I will never forget those times. At the cabin, I learned to play chess, and I still have the first chess that was given to me by one of our family friends. My lethal Monopoly skills were honed in that cabin. When I was ten years old, I didn’t understand what pleasure grown men took in driving me to tears when I landed on Boardwalk with two hotels, but now that I am older the simple joy of taking everyone’s fake money is strangely satisfying. And to top it off, every year ended with everyone sneaking down to the shore late at night, and watching the reflection of the illegal fireworks we were setting off sparkle in the watery reflection.

The second reason I love Thanksgiving is that there are no church events associated with it. I know it seems shallow and selfish, and it probably is. But there are no services, no special events, just a holiday. A holi-day. A holy-day. Set apart from all the other days. And even set apart from all the other holidays.

This year I am adding a third reason to my list. Thanksgiving brings my life back into balance. I know every year people complain that Christmas comes earlier and earlier. Somehow our holidays keep encroaching on time that isn’t theirs. But Christmas has always started in July for me, as I prepare for the special events and services. However, this year, it has shocked me; we have forgotten that in between Halloween and Christmas, there is Thanksgiving.

When you lose Thanksgiving in life, your life is tunneled into focusing on what you don’t have. But when you give thanks, you break out of your myopia, and focus on what you already have. Giving thanks looks at what is currently in your life, and finds the value in your current circumstances. I am a driven person. I have high expectations and set high goals. So I easily lock into what I don’t have and what I am trying to get. I need thanksgiving to bring my life into balance.

I wonder if that’s why the Psalmist says, “I will enter your gates with thanksgiving…” The path to God’s presence is gated with thanksgiving, and if we can’t give thanks then maybe we don’t get through the gates. I need to be in God’s presences, so I need thanksgiving. I need that holy day to bring my life back into balance, and I am looking forward to it. So don’t skip it; slow down; enjoy your Thanksgiving.