Oh, Thanks a Lot (A Thansgiving Thought) by Alan Scott
Oh, Thanks a Lot
I slept in the guest bedroom of my grandparent’s house when visiting. Unfortunately, it was next to my grandmother’s kitchen. My mom and I would arrive for Thanksgiving the day before, way before the uncles, aunts and cousins would pull up at the old house. By that time, my grandmother had already been in prep for the family feast to come. Needless to say, around 4:00am, I would awake to the sound of egg beaters, along with the collage of holiday aromas, drifting and hovering over my bed like a web of tantalizing treats. THAT was Thanksgiving morning for me. Those particular family traditions are gone, fading into treasured memories. I do thank God for the mental slideshows.
Look at the title of this article. Funny how you can make it sound sarcastic, or very warm. Try it. “Oh, thanks a LOT!” (Maybe ending it with the word, “Pal” or something I can’t type on this format.) Even the word, “Oh…” can be hurtful to an ear. “Oh” makes your gratefulness appear to be an afterthought. I recommend dropping the “Oh” and go straight for the cherished words. Why? Read on.
While listening to the CCM Classic music line-up, I heard, for the first time, an Andrew Peterson song from 2012, “Don’t You Want To Thank Someone” from his, “Light For The Lost Boy” CD. Let me tell you, tears may come as you hear the song, or just read the lyric. It will test you. His verses will pierce you, even reclaim some memories, but guaranteed to make you put down the phone, turn off the screen and ponder once again. I highly recommend it for a rich Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving should be a way of daily life, like prayer. Society would discover it takes humility to do so. When calling up a loved one to say, “Thanks a lot”, recall WHO gave that person to you. Recall WHO paved the road that brought the intersections of your relationships. Many will be grateful for the view on a midnight clear. That’s terrific; however, many will not thank the Painter of the scene. Many will be thankful for their jobs. That’s great. But, many employees will neglect gratefulness to the One who inspired the business owner who founded the company who hired them. Many will be appreciative for good health. However, many will ignore the One who holds all things together. Many will tell their child how thankful they are for their lives mingled with theirs. However, scads will forget to thank the Creator, the Birth Giver. Frankly, in the end, when we thank someone, or some object, we are thanking the “thing” or the “person” God created and graciously gave as a gift.
After reading this, request Andrew Peterson’s, “Don’t You Want To Thank Someone” in the comment area. We’ll schedule it for you.
“’Cause I can hear the voice of one. He’s crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready for the Kingdom Come’. Don’t you want to thank someone for this?” – Andrew Peterson
From all of us here at CCM Classic, Happy Thanksgiving!
In His Grip
Alan Scott
CCM Classic
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