Thanksgiving

By Karla Schettenhelm

Thanksgiving is for giving thanks!  
Thanksgiving reminds us one day a year that we should be thankful for all that God has given us.  But of course we should be thankful every day.  God has blessed us in so many ways – Jesus, family, friends, homes, food, health and on and on and on.  Even when times are hard, like in our current pandemic, we can still find many reasons to give thanks. 
This blog gives some Bible verses to reflect on, some activities and crafts to express thankfulness, some music to give thanks and praise to God, and some Thanksgiving prayers.

This video is generally for kids – there is a puppet doing the presentation.  However the ideas are good for all ages!

There are many activities that can be done to count our blessings and visually show our thankfulness.  A lot of people spend the month of November doing a “thankful” activity.  Just because the month of November is coming to an end, we do not have to, nor should we, stop thinking about being thankful to God.  The seasonal activities below can all be altered for the next season or for the whole year.  Thanksgiving could be a good time to begin one of these activities.

A Thankful Tree
In the fall, make a tee and lots of fall colored leaves.  Every day each family member thinks of something they are thankful for and writes or draws it on a leaf. The leaves are added to the tree daily.  The tree can be made out of paper, it can be 3D made from sticks, or it could be a real tree or plant.  This can be altered for winter by putting the things you are thankful for on snowflakes; in the spring, flower blossoms can be used, and in the summer, green leaves or apples.
This blog describes how to make a 3D thankful tree and use it for a Thanksgiving decoration, The Thankful Tree: Thanksgiving DIY

A Blessing Jar
Throughout a month or a year, write blessings on paper and put them in a jar.  Remember to thank God for these things when you put them in the jar.  To begin the new month or new year, dump the jar, read your blessings, and thank God again for all He’s done for you!
One example is here, Blessings Jar: How to Start One in Your Family

A Thankful Garland
Use a rope or some wide ribbon; write things you are thankful for each day on paper; connect them to the rope with ribbon or clothespins.  Add other ribbon or scraps of material to decorate the garland.  Hang the garland around a room, on a mantle, etc.  For Christmas hang a thankful garland on your Christmas tree.
Here’s a blog about one Thankfulness Garland, Our Thankfulness Garland

Decorate a harvest cross.
Cut a cross shape out of cardboard, foam, or other sturdy material.  Decorate the cross with popcorn kernels, dried beans, dried peas, etc.  Fill the cross shape completely or make a design with the items on the cross.
With leftover beans, etc. from the cross, make decorative candles for your Thanksgiving table

A thankful turkey
Make a turkey – cut paper into turkey and feather shapes, use a handprint, use a lunchbag, etc. Write things you thank God for on the turkey feathers!

Many verses in the Bible talk about giving thanks to God through music and song.  Below are some songs to help us give praise and thanks to God. 
Songs are ordered from those appropriate for small children to those for older children, youth, and adults

A Child’s Thanksgiving Prayer
Thank you God for all that grows.  Thank you for the sky’s rainbows.
Thank you for the stars that shine.  Thank you for these friends of mine.
Thank you for the moon and sun.  Thank you God for all you’ve done!

A Child’s Prayer of Thanks
Dear God,
I’m thankful for all you give: for food, for love, a place to live.
I thank you for my family too, and I want you to know that I love you. 
Amen.

A Thank You poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson
For flowers that bloom about our feet, Father, we thank Thee.
For tender grass so fresh, so sweet, Father we thank Thee.
For the song of bird and hum of bee, for all thigs fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee.
For blue of stream and blue of sky, Father, we thank Thee.
For pleasant shade of branches high, Father, we thank Thee.
For fragrant air and cooling breeze, for beauty of the blooming trees, Father in heaven, we thank Thee.
For this new morning with its light, Father, we thank Thee.
For rest and shelter of the night, Father, we thank Thee.
For health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends, Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

Thanksgiving Prayer
Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day we bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You’ve done especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see, for joy and health, friends and family.
For daily provision, Your mercy and care, these are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise with a promise to follow You all of our days.