What are you Feeding your Mind and Heart at Thanksgiving?
I admit it—my first inclination in planning Thanksgiving dinner is to focus on the menu. What kind of turkey should I buy: fresh, frozen, organic, butterflied? Are there some new side dishes and luscious desserts that will excite everyone?
With our culture emphasizing Thanksgiving dinner as a special time to dine with family and friends, it’s easy to prioritize socializing and stuffing ourselves with food. Breaking bread together is generally uplifting and entertaining—party, party! Isn’t that a positive way to celebrate this national holiday? What’s missing?
On the opposite end of the spectrum, some experiencing infertility might have melancholy thoughts about Thanksgiving. There may be apprehension about being around families with kids which can prompt hurt about what is absent. Concerns may arise that dining partners might ask invasive questions, be judgmental, and prompt stress. And what about that haunting question: How can I be thankful when I feel deprived of having a baby?
As we consider the ways we approach this holiday, what should be on every infertile woman’s ‘menu of mindset’? Can you guess what will fill you up with peace?
Let’s chat about it.
The Most Important Food for Thought
Did you know that two Presidents of the United States suggested what the ‘food for thought’ should be during Thanksgiving?
- George Washington, our first President, wrote in his 1795 proclamation for a National Day of Thanksgiving, that it is—
“…our duty as a people, with devout reverence and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God, … to implore Him to continue and confirm the blessings we experienced.”
- Much later, President Abraham Lincoln issued his 1863 Proclamation of Thanksgiving :
“a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens…And I recommend…with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife…
…God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people…”
Thanksgiving is all about exalting God for who He is and what He provides for us.
Instead of exclusively fixating on food and fun, or on what is absent in our lives, this Thanksgiving try focusing your mindset on thanking God for all of the wonderful things He does for you –giving you the air you breathe, your shelter, and provisions, your freedom, loving people in your life, and all of the other blessings you experience.
Thankfulness to God will feed your mind with peace and satisfy your hungry heart. If your heart is full of God, you will not run on empty. Then, you can fill your body with sustenance and celebration.
You can direct your Thanksgiving prayer toward praising the one true God of the Holy Bible.
Lord God, this is the day that You have made, let my husband and I rejoice and be glad in it. You have made Your light shine upon us. May this Thanksgiving celebration honor who You are; You are good. Your love endures forever. (Psalm 118: 24, 27, 29)
In the words of Psalm 100, I enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise. You are my God, You made me. You are constantly faithful and do so much for me (name what God has done). Help me each day to make You my priority. I surrender any negative, self-centered thoughts passing through my mind to You. Prompt me to focus on hope and trust in You for the days to come. Have Your hands upon me, strengthen and fortify me, and allow me to fulfill Your will for my life. I ask all this in the name of my loving Savior, Jesus. Amen
Moving forward:
Ask yourself this:
- Have I been concentrating on God’s Words of thanksgiving in the Bible?
- Am I surrendering my pain and feelings of emptiness to Him and replacing them with praise for what He does for me?
- Do I share His impact on my life with others and reflect His love in my behavior?
Consider this challenge:
Have you considered a Thanksgiving of praise to God?
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
- In your journal, write down what God has done for you each day and thank Him for it.
- Print Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of Thanksgiving and hang it in a prominent place in your kitchen. Share copies of it with others.
- What topics will be discussed at your table this Thanksgiving? What can each person present thank God for? It’s food for thought.
Share this post with others who might benefit.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving that brings glory to God!
With the peace and joy of Jesus,
Kimberly
P.S. You won’t want to miss the following posts that will equip you for your journey:
- When does Adoption Become a Possible Path to Building a Family?
- What Daily Devotion Works Best to Inspire your Time with God?
- Where to Find Peace when Experiencing Miscarriage (Part 2)
- How Can You Get Personal with God Using His Language of Love?