Naturally, in my anticipation for the upcoming celebration of Thanksgiving, I did some research. (Don’t we all do that?)
I had been reading about the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I was particularly interested in knowing how long it’s been going on.
One thing led to another, and as the Google rabbit-trail always does, I found myself staring at a screen with about 47 tabs open as I tried to unravel some answers.
You see, I initially read that the parade actually began in 1924, but when I looked at the official part of the Macy’s website for the parade (yes, there is an OFFICIAL section – geeks like me find these things), I was super confused because it said this year marks the 99th parade.
Now listen, even before my morning coffee that math wasn’t mathin’!
1924 to 2024 would be 100 years.
This year is 2025… so….
Well, of course that question couldn’t be left un-researched!
I’ll spare you all the links to various websites, but the short of the story is that during World War II, Macy’s didn’t host a Thanksgiving parade.
There were a few years there where materials and resources were desperately needed for the war efforts, and Macy’s opted to donate what they had for the greater good.
Among all the resources Uncle Sam needed for the cause, rubber and helium were big ones… and that’s what the big balloons were made of.
Rubber was needed for things like tires, and helium was necessary for things like military blimps.
[Sorry, Clarence the Clown! Your sacrifice in being shredded and used for war efforts is greatly appreciated!]
To my knowledge, the decision to refrain from the parade in order to give those resources to something bigger was a freely-made choice.
What I mean is, no one forced Macy’s to sacrifice the Clarence the Clown balloon, or the Uncle Sam balloon (that’s ironic, right?), or anything else for that matter.
Look, I’m hardly the one to try and point out how corporate America is some sort of example for us to follow, so please don’t misunderstand where I am going with this.
The point I want to make is that sometimes in life there are wars being waged and the only way to have breakthrough is through sacrifice.
[Someone PLEASE tell me you’re picking up what I am laying down here…! ]
Sometimes in life things are hard.
There are wars waged within us.
There are battles being fought for our minds, for our health, for the good of our children, for our nation, and on and on.
Sometimes we get to the point where we’ve given it everything we’ve got.
We’ve drained the bank account.
We’ve prayed all the petition-prayers we know how to pray.
We’ve knocked on more doctor’s doors than we can count.
And we’re still here, holding the hurt and concerns because we’re still waiting on something to give.
We’re waiting for the war to be won…
What do we do then?
Well, my friend- THAT is precisely the reason I am writing today.
ENTER: The sacrifice of thanksgiving.
We both know that there are times in life when praising God in the middle of the darkest days is a sacrificial act.
It’s like our tanks are drained and we are running on fumes…
We might find ourselves in the deepest of pits or facing a mountain where we can’t see the summit.
We know the cards are stacked against us and we have nothing left to bring to the table.
But we choose to praise.
We choose to give God thanks.
We choose to honor Him for all He has done in our lives before and all He is yet to do.
If you’ve ever been in a season of life where everything is falling apart, you are well acquainted with just how hard it can be to choose praise and thanksgiving.
Everything that’s wrong is vying for your attention.
But when you willingly pivot your view from “all that’s wrong” to “God, You are still good and I thank You,” – that is a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
The reorienting of your heart –
The laying down of pride and perceived entitlements –
The laying down of (*hold your breath for this one*) your own desires –
The setting aside of “self” in order to give thanks to the One who holds you…
That is really special.
If it were easy to do, everyone would be doing it.
It’s not. It’s hard.
It’s a dying to self.
It’s a surrender.
It’s an acknowledgment that God is God and you are not.
It’s putting God in His rightful place.
And there is something of a mystery in those moments… for those who dare to enter them.
It’s not that all our problems are solved, or that we are guaranteed a miracle for our circumstances.
But the miracle is actually that our hearts get re-centered and our soul has its own kind of healing.
Somehow, we are better able to stand in the waves even when we can’t see through them.
We are reminded that this very good God who has given us such reason to bring praise and thanksgiving is the same God who holds this current moment.
Beyond that, always remember that there are people who are taking in what they see in you.
Your relationship and trust in God has the potential to influence for generations.
When people see you praise even in the storm, they remember that…
And when their storm hits, they have a better chance of hitting their knees in prayer and praise – simply because they saw how that kind of love worked in real life in you.
I’ve said it before and you’ll hear me say it a million more times-
I don’t know a lot, but I do know this:
My God is good
And my God is faithful
And at the end of it all, that’s all I really need to know.
May your heart be able to bring before Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving – especially if you’re in a difficult season.
He’s still holding you.
