No gatherings larger than 10. Wear masks. Hold gathering outside when possible. Don’t serve “family-style” or buffet-style food if you get together. Each family should bring their own food or a single person should serve the food.

I see these suggested restrictions and watch the traditional Thanksgiving family meals my husband and I enjoyed with our extended families disintegrate before my eyes.

I’m in a group text with my mom and sister to figure out how to have some semblance of a Thanksgiving meal together. Who is going to cook what? What dishes will be left out? Where will we gather?

How can we feel thankful during this time?

In a recent blog post, “Give Thanks to God When I Don’t Feel Like It,” fellow writer, Lauri Hogle* reminds us that God didn’t tell us to feel thankful, He told us to give thanks.

So, we have to examine how to do that. How do we change our mindset from believing we deserve to feel happy and thankful to realizing that we ought to give thanks?

How do you “do” gratitude? How do you “give” thanksgiving?

These are actions verbs – “do” and “give” – meaning we have to physically perform an action.

To feel thanksgiving, we first have to give thanksgiving. Seems backwards, but God’s kingdom is upside down. (You know – to keep your life you must lose it, and the meek will inherit the earth)?

I’ve decided I want to feel thankful, so I am going to give gratitude like I would give a gift.

First, I will offer back to God the life He has given me. I will offer my life as a living sacrifice. I’ll tell Him every time I pray:

{I submit my life to you, Father. I will obey you. Help me to walk with you and to lead a godly life. Show me how to serve you and serve others, to use the gifts and abilities you’ve given me to minister to you and to the people around me}.

Then, I wait to see where He sends me.

Maybe to Africa on a mission trip?

Or, He might send me to serve in my church or to meet a need in my workplace. He may call me to volunteer at my child’s school or at a local organization.

He might convict me to serve my husband and children.

When I serve others, I serve Him.

Serving Him is an act of worship.

Worshiping God (giving thanks) makes my heart joyful; then, all of a sudden, I’m grateful! I’m giving thanks to God for who He is and what He’s done…and I feel thankful!

{I see what you did, God. You took the gift I gave and used it to bless me. The focus was taken off me. I concentrated with thanks on you, and you filled my heart with thanksgiving – not for the situation but for you!}

I want this for you, dear friends.

Concentrate with thanks to God rather than focusing on feeling thankful or on receiving gratitude from others.

Pray to Him.

Read His Word.

Sing a worship song to Him.

Serve Him by serving others.

Ask Him right now how to serve Him where you are. Ask Him how to offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Ask Him how to worship Him with thanksgiving and praise.

Then wait quietly for what He has to say.

And, as always, let there be thanksgiving.

Leave a comment and let me know how you have been called to serve others.

Connect with Lauri Hogle through her website to learn more about her ministry. On her blog, she offers weekly writing and Scriptural songs to encourage readers to Sing Christ’s Hope Into Your Suffering.