The act of “Thanks Living” is contagious—have you tried spreading it yet? Knowing that we have received all that we have from God, we can share our blessings with others in a way that demonstrates His love for them. Attendees who picked up a resealable “Thanks Living” bag at the Michigan District Professional Church Workers Conference have a head start. They are on a mission to fill their bags with items to give away in person while sharing the reason for “Thanks Living,” or they will write a note explaining the “Thanks Living” lifestyle and fill the bag with something to pay forward to someone anonymously. You can do this, too! Use any bag, box, bowl, bucket, etc. to share your “Thanks Living” message and send us your stories. We want to spread the “Thanks Living” spirit and celebrate the infectious joy it brings.
Here are some ideas to help you get into the habit of Thanks Living:
- Keep a gratitude journal writing down one thing you are grateful for each day and lifting up a prayer of thanks
- Every week, write something you are thankful for in a piece of paper and put it into a thanksgiving jar; then, at the end of the year, open the jar and read all the notes
And here are some ideas on how to share Thanks Living:
- Pay for someone’s coffee in the coffee shop line
- Invite someone to an activity or worship service at your church
- Prepare a meal for a neighbor family or shut-in
- Give an encouraging word or gift to someone you don’t know
- Buy an extra bag of groceries for someone in need
- Send a “Thankful for you” postcard out to friends/family/church members once a month
“What it before we ever begin our Thanksgiving season, we were to start living thanks before God in a continual state? What if we prayerfully recognized where all things come from every day of the year? Even more, what if our thanksgiving was rooted not in our circumstances, but in God Himself? Giving thanks to God for all His blessings and provisions at Thanksgiving time is a wonderful tradition but continuing this year around becomes more than tradition. It becomes a way of life, made possible by the love of God shown to us in Christ.” 1
1 Excerpt from the November 24, 2020 blog, Celebrating Thanskgiving by Thanks-Living, spurgeon.org
Photo by Elisa Schulz/Michigan District, LCMS
