Have you noticed that Christmas decorations are already up? I know that for some people, seeing Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving pushes them over the top. Part of me understands as I’m partial to the popular picture of an inflatable Tom Turkey, the mascot of Thanksgiving, sitting atop Santa Claus with a sign saying, “Wait your turn.” Then there’s the other part of me that says Thanksgiving helps prepare me to be thankful for many things, including the arrival of Christmas!

Speaking of preparing to be thankful, I must admit that there are times when life begins to swirl so much around me that it’s challenging to keep my focus. I act less like Tom Turkey and more like Eeyore, the mascot of mopey ungratefulness. 

You remember Eeyore, don’t you? He’s the gray donkey filled with sawdust from the Winnie the Pooh stories. Eeyore has a gloomy outlook and is forever losing his tail. And like many of us, Eeyore resists change. His stance is, why bother going to the effort of finding my tail if it’s only going to come off and get lost again before lunch? Why bother fixing the house when the next gust of wind will likely blow more tiles off the roof and loosen another section of the gutter? Why bother putting energy and effort into becoming a better donkey when everyone knows I’m filled with sawdust? Why bother?

We live in a time where it’s tempting to be Eeyore’s and say, “Why bother?” about the changes in our community. Just as Eeyore loses his tail, we lose our perspective of God’s mission for the church and world. We are tempted to ask, why bother about changing anything? Perhaps we think, “We’ve tried inviting people to church, but they didn’t come. Why would this time be any different?” It might be surprising that we’re not the only people struggling with all the changes. Thousands of people in our community are struggling. They have lost their perspective on finding a work/life balance, how to positively influence their relationships with kids and grandkids, neighbors, and community, and how to find help and hope to deal with mental health. 

But what if we focused on giving thanks in every situation instead of being a mopey Eeyore and dwelling on the changes happening in the world? What if we rediscovered what it means to participate in God’s mission of bringing hope, healing, and wholeness to a broken world through Jesus? What if we work to rekindle a spirit of gratitude and hope this Thanksgiving? Without gratitude, we’ll continue to feel like Eeyore because hope and gratitude are closely connected. Gratitude builds hope.

So, while you’re gathering around the table for Thanksgiving lunch, dinner, or during the break between the football games, I invite you to join me in giving thanks in every situation. I’m thankful for Snellville Community Church and will thank God for all our members on Thanksgiving Thursday. But come Friday, the day after, it’s game on, and I’ll be in full Christmas mode! 

At the Intersection,

Dr. Quincy D. Brown

Senior Pastor