I have always been a fan of Peanuts. There is just something about that group of kids that speaks to me. Maybe because there have been times in my own life when I feel like the football has been taken away while I’m in mid-kick and I find myself doing a somersault which ends with me landing flat of my back. Charlie Brown is someone with whom I can identify.

So, do you remember the Thanksgiving episode of Peanuts? Charlie Brown is going to his grandmother’s house and then all of his friends invite themselves over to his house for dinner. Being the agreeable kid that he is, he can’t say “no” and hasn’t the heart to tell them he is going out of town. So they all show up to eat. Snoopy and Woodstock cater the meal. They set out folding tables (a hilarious scene) and serve what they have been able to come up with. The menu is popcorn, pretzel sticks, toast and jelly beans. Needless to say, Peppermint Patty throws a fit. She demands that they be served turkey, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. The problem is, Charlie Brown doesn’t have any of that. Marcy scolds Peppermint Patty and then goes to patch things up with Charlie Brown whose feelings have been hurt. She says, “But Thanksgiving is more than eating Chuck. You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that’s what they mean by ‘thanksgiving’ Charlie Brown.”

If you haven’t watched the show in a while, you can see it here…

In the end, Charlie Brown calls his grandmother, who is happy to have the whole gang come to her house for a real Thanksgiving meal!

The point of me taking you through this nostalgic story is this: Remember what Marcy said? “Thanksgiving is more than eating…those early Pilgrims where thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be too…We should just be thankful for being together.”

So this year, regardless of whether or not your Martha Stewart-Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving comes together – remember these two things. Be thankful. Be thankful for what the Lord has done in your life over the past year. Be thankful for the things He has given you and the times He has been with you – both the good and the not-so-good. And secondly, be thankful for being together. Spend time with those you love. It’s not about the meal – it’s about the fellowship that takes place around the table. It is about making memories with your loved ones. It is about being together.
I hope you have a Blessed Thanksgiving next week. Pop some popcorn (and maybe serve it with toast, jelly beans & pretzel sticks) and watch Charlie Brown. Be thankful and spend time with your family. That’s what I’ll be doing!