Pastor Tom Grieb concludes the series "Our Grateful Response."

‘Tis the season to give thanks.  Here in this country we set aside the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.  From the Pilgrims to George Washington to Abraham Lincoln, there has been an innate recognition of God’s good work and a desire to give thanks on the part of God’s people.  Today, Thanksgiving is as much as anything a matter of turkey and dressing, professional football, and families getting together.  It is all too easy to lose sight of why Thanksgiving Day is so special.

I have always found Thanksgiving Day to be a great time to take inventory of the things for which I am thankful.  At the top of the list is the presence of God at work in my life. Next comes family for whom I have a deep love.  I also give thanks for the ministry of the church.  I am indeed thankful for the ministry of Saint John.  I am thankful for our country.  I am thankful for God’s good work in the life of the world.  These things only begin to scratch the surface of my thankfulness.

If you and I can give thanks one day a year, why can’t we do that the other 364?  The answer might lie in Jesus’ encounter with the ten lepers, where only one of the ten returned to offer thanks.