It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. It used to be the “official start” of the holiday season. Now it seems to be just a nice day off from work between Halloween and Christmas. The start of the holiday season commercially seems to begin earlier each year.

Of course, the Thanksgiving Holiday doesn’t benefit many economically, unlike Halloween and Christmas. We buy a little more food for one day, but that’s about it. Thanksgiving just doesn’t bring in much coin or currency.

Yet of all the holidays we experience during the year, I think Thanksgiving is my favorite. It was always the one where I could count on family being together. There was the meal, and some football, and a couple rousing rounds of Trivial Pursuit. It hasn’t been like that for a few years now. Family is scattered and often unable to gather.

This year, however, my son and daughter-in-love will host the gathering from their house. My daughter’s family will be there, and my son’s family will be traveling from California to join us. One grandson is coming with his fiancé that we are all eager to get to know. This Thanksgiving will be a special holiday.

Thanksgiving is always special in that it reminds me that I should be grateful, and that thanksgiving is for more than just one day a year. Thanksgiving, after all, is the gift we bring when we enter God’s presence.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” [Ps 100:4-5]