By Ife J. Ibitayo
“This is the day the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). This verse is so oft-repeated, especially during the Thanksgiving season, that it’s been drained of some of its gripping power. Some might breathe a sigh of relief as this month gives way to the next, as if to say, “Now that November has passed, I can stop being thankful.” But November was never intended to be our single month of thanksgiving each year. Rather, it stands as a reminder of what we should be doing each and every day.
James Madison once said, “No people ought to feel greater obligations to celebrate the goodness of the Great Disposer of Events and of the Destiny of Nations than the people of the United States…He protected and cherished them under all the difficulties and trials to which they were exposed in their early days.” And not only in the early days, but now as well. We’ve braved the pandemic, protests, and politics of these past couple years, and we’re still here. We’re still breathing, when so many millions are not.
As we sliced the turkey and shoveled food onto our plates earlier this week, I had a new appreciation for the simple things. Food and family, camaraderie and champagne, laughter and love all make life worth living.
This coming week, we return to work, school, and stress. Life will flood back in. But let’s not let it drown out our many reasons for gratitude. For this is still the day the LORD has made!
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
(Philippians 4:4)