The Most Important Ingredient

It’s that time of year again! You’ve chosen your favorite recipes—some handed down from your grandparents—and you’ve double-checked your shopping list to make sure you have all the needed ingredients.  
       
You close your eyes for a moment and breathe in the delectable aroma of celery, onion, and sage simmering on the stove. You are eager to prepare the best meal possible for your family and friends.        
Some guests bring their favorite dishes to share. Others bring hearty appetites, ready to indulge in the meal you have worked so hard to prepare.
     
But sometimes, recipes aren’t perfect, and neither are oven temperatures—or cooks. You didn’t intend for the turkey to come out dry or for the rolls to turn crispy on the edges, but it happened. 
 
Families aren’t perfect, either. Uncle Buzz was calm until he’d had a few beers and took a swing at Rudy when he changed the football game channel. Junior didn’t watch where he was going and accidentally spilled a can of red soda all over your new tan carpeting. Then, to top it off, Aunt Itzie yelled at you because your meal wasn’t gluten-free—but she hadn’t informed you of that until now.

But no matter the kitchen glitches, behaviors of family or guests, recipes used, or dishes served, there is an ingredient that should stand out as the most important one at Thanksgiving: thankfulness.

This year, the holidays will be different for many people who cannot be together due to the pandemic. However, despite these uncertain times, we can still join our hearts in appreciation for one another and for all we have (including forgiveness for certain cooks, Uncle Buzz's, Juniors, and Aunt Itzie's of the world).      
  
Thankfulness—it’s one thing we can keep at the top of the shopping list.    
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“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:11
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” – Hebrews 13:15 
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