The Thanksgiving Plate
Thanksgiving looms just around the corner and I feel the excitement of family gatherings and the traditional foods accompanying this holiday. Tables set with turkey, ham, dressing, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, cranberry sauce, casseroles, corn, broccoli, and buttered rolls trigger hunger pains. Pumpkin, potato, and apple pies resting on the dessert table along with various assortments of cakes and cookies kill our diet plans. Time to get the plates out.
The Thanksgiving plate…filled to the brim with lots of our favorite foods. A plate packed and running over with very little room for the fork to rest its prongs. A plate carefully divided with above average proportions of the main menu items. A separate plate to savor multiple desserts. A plate salivated over, hopefully prayed over, prepared just for you and me, and ready to be worshipped.
The Thanksgiving plate reminded me of the plate, our life, we prepare for Jesus. Do we get excited about the plate for Him as much as we do the Thanksgiving plate? What items do we place on the plate and how much of each item? Do we place a little of this and a little of that or just a spoonful of various things, or do we pack our plate with the delicacies that Jesus loves? Are our plates filled to the brim with lots of His favorite items of worship?
Plates running over with prayer and praise. Plates dripping with songs of praise and spiritual hymns to Him. Plates abundant in thanksgiving. Plates filled with forgiveness to others. Plates carefully divided with the right proportions of the desserts…the fruit of the Spirit. Plates overflowing with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Plates He salivates over, covered with fervent prayer, prepared just for Him and ready to give Him all the worship He deserves.
Thanksgiving comes once every year, yet Jesus lives with us every day filling our plates with everything we need. And He doesn’t give us just a little spoonful of this and that, but His grace and mercy overflows and fills our lives to the brim.
I don’t know about you, but I realize that I don’t always prepare my plate with His favorite things. I am so thankful that His portion of love and forgiveness still remains for me even when I short change Him. So, as I enjoy this Thanksgiving with family and friends, I desire my plate to Jesus to be filled to the rim, not just on Thanksgiving, but daily with lots of His favorite things. Why? Simply…
