The musings of Peter

I am not one for over-dramatizing holidays. After all, they happen every year—why should this year be any different than last? Don’t get me wrong: it’s always a blessing to have family around. But this year feels different for me.Lately in our meetings we’ve been discussing Isaiah, Hezekiah, and the nation of Judah. Israel, by that point in history, was already lost to Assyria. And we’ve all noticed the same thing: Judah had slowly lost sight of Yahweh. I believe that the slippery slope toward unbelief began the moment they started taking God for granted. It wasn’t enough anymore. They had all of God—His presence in their nation, His defense over their land, His promises spoken through His prophets—and somehow even that wasn’t enough.The first thing to go was gratitude.The second thing to go was fear—the holy, reverent kind.And after that, only emptiness remained.Which makes Thanksgiving, though it is a secular holiday, something remarkable: a national reminder that the moment we stop being thankful, pride rushes in, and the blessings we have begin to wither.It’s worth noting that someone believed gratitude was so important that she spent 17 years fighting for this holiday to exist. Her name was Sarah Josepha Hale, the same woman who wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb. She wasn’t a theologian or a saint remembered for her holiness. She was simply wise enough to recognize that a society without gratitude will eventually lose its way.And isn’t that the human curse? Gratitude is so hard for us that we need to be forced to remember it. It is easy to be thankful when God gives us what we want; it is much harder when He asks us to wait. That raises the uncomfortable question:Are we actually grateful—or just pleased that things have gone our way?Scripture says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” but gratefulness nourishes our faith. True gratitude recognizes that all we receive is a gift from God, entrusted to us for His purposes, not ours. If that is the posture of our hearts, then we can be grateful in all circumstances, knowing that the attention of a benevolent God—who rules the universe yet cares about the details of our tiny lives—should fill us with profound joy.Imagine if we lived that way with each other.Imagine paying close attention to the most insignificant person we encounter—not just the owner of the landscaping company, but the guy throwing grass clippings into the back of the truck. Imagine treating him like his life mattered deeply, waiting outside each week to ask him how his week had gone. Taking him to lunch. Buying him gifts. God does more than that for us. I don’t do that for anyone, maybe my wife. Now that I’ve written it, I may need to.The truth is: we cannot be thankful enough.Because the moment we lose sight of God’s graciousness, we start elevating ourselves. There can only be one God, and He does not treat rivals kindly.When Eve conversed with the serpent, his argument was simple:“You deserve more.”But grateful people don’t believe they deserve more.They are overwhelmed that they received anything at all. Receiving gratitude with humility is an achievement of hoiness.God created Eve.God placed her in a perfect garden.God gave her a life we all wish we had.Yet gratitude slipped away, entitlement crept in, and the fall began.And I see that pattern in my own story. God gave me a wonderful life, and I—through choices, pride, impatience, and missteps—managed to distort what He meant for good. Now I find myself back on my knees, asking Him to restore what He had planned all along. Asking for mercy. Asking for a second chance.But if He doesn’t give me what I ask—do I have the right to be angry?Do I get to be upset if He refuses to fulfill my understanding of His promises?I am not God. He is.I cannot judge Him for failing to meet my expectations.But He can judge me when I forget my place.Gratitude keeps me grounded in truth.Gratitude keeps me from dishonoring God.Gratitude prevents the quiet rebellion that elevates my desires above His will.Gratitude is not just a virtue—it is a guardrail for the soul.It is a key to faithfulness.And maybe—just maybe—that is why Thanksgiving matters more this year than I expected.