| | Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, said the Psalmist.
Sometimes I get impatient when, after a recital, or a lecture, or an event of any kind, the lady or gentleman presiding stands up with a list, publicly thanks a dozen people I've never heard of, and expects me to dutifully applaud for every one. And reading the string of thank-you's on the inside cover of a book, or the insert of a CD, is like reading Biblical genealogies. The list seems interminable and the names mean nothing to me.
But those genealogies are in the Bible for a reason, and those lists of names and reiterations of gratitude are valuable too. Thanksgiving is humility, because it carries with it the acknowledgment that we can't do it alone, whether we're writing a book, hosting an event, or breathing in and out. We would be imposters if we didn't give thanks, trying to fool the world into believing we were self-sufficient. But giving thanks is more than "being fair" and giving credit where credit is due: it's joyful. It recognizes good gifts and praises the giver. Thanksgiving is festive and extravagant, not something to be whispered once in the dead of night. It never wants to stop, and it can't keep the good news to itself. An excellent gift, a generous giver are like treasures to be shared.
Happy giving-of-thanks! . . . if that isn't redundant. 
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| | Posted 11/22/2007 2:40 PM - 20 views - 5 comments
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