We have learned that it is a human virtue for children to remember what their parents have done for them—even long after the parents have passed away.

(1) They gave us life. (2) They forgave our faults with love. (3) They cared for us without fail until we became adults.

God, too, has shown us love and care far greater than that of our earthly parents. And we have received it.

1. A Grateful Heart First, it is vital to cultivate a heart of gratitude. This is a decisive turning point that shapes the course of a life. Among children who receive gifts, those who know how to give thanks bring immeasurable joy to their parents. The reward of raising them makes all past hardships fade away. This is the spiritual posture of Thanksgiving.

Each morning, when we open our eyes from sleep, the soul that gives thanks for the new life granted by the Creator enters the doorway of the new day with the key of gratitude. The abundant day of heaven is already ours.

2. Giving Thanks in Every Circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Even if we resent a parent who scolds us, we cannot forget the grace of the one who gave us life. The trials we endure to grow are part of the process of grace given by God. We must learn to give thanks in all circumstances. This is the secret to having the treasures of heaven overflow in our lives.

3. Giving Thanks for Everything (Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18) Sometimes we give bitter medicine to a sick child. Let us give thanks even when our good and gracious God gives us what we dislike. We believe that sorrow and pain will be transformed into greater joy and fill our storehouses abundantly.

4. Giving Thanks to the God Who Answers Prayer When a debt is paid, a sense of liberation follows. True freedom is found in following the footsteps of the “Servant King” who wore a crown of thorns. With each step we take in His path, the sense of liberation—true freedom—grows deeper.

Love and care for our neighbors is the true form of prayer. We believe this is the essence of genuine faith toward God.

This Thanksgiving, take time to reach out with love and care to the nameless, the unfortunate, and those with whom our relationships have grown strained or distant. Let it be a chance to repay, even one ten-thousandth, the boundless grace we have already received from God.

Sometimes, in the midst of hardship, we taste the refreshing liberation of grace. You will find yourself immersed in a true and beautiful humanity that cannot be bought with money. In this deepening autumn, I am confident you will share true happiness with the Lord.

May your household be filled with joy this Thanksgiving. I bless you in the name of the Lord.

© TaeHun Yoon

October–November 1992 Combined Issue (Pastor’s Page from the Monthly Newsletter)