The Path to Joy is Blazed by Thankfulness

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As the last of the autumn leaves fall and Thanksgiving fast approaches I start thinking about Christmas movies. There is about a dozen I watch almost every year without fail. Just as holiday music warms up the chilly days, I can’t imagine December evenings without these timeless stories. As I pondered which one I would watch first after Thanksgiving, I realized they all seemed to have a common theme, and it wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t believing in magic or miracles, finding true love, having a cheerful spirit, or even learning to be kind to others. All of those important reminders are present in many of the movies, but one truth spoke loudly and clearly above all else — a transformative surge of thankfulness always precedes an explosion of Christmas joy.

Regardless of the genre — from musicals to comedies — or the era in which the movie was produced, the main character’s problem is always solved once he or she comes to an intensely humbling realization of gratitude. Just take a look at these famous storylines:

• The Grinch hates the inhabitants of Whoville, their noisy traditions, and their festive spirits. But when the entire village bursts into a joyous celebration fueled by an infectious gratitude for each other despite losing everything else, the Grinch’s cold attitude is melted forever and he is flooded by thankfulness himself.
• George Bailey has had a hard life. He gave up his dreams to sacrifice for everyone else and now he’s having a pity party. When an angel gives him a glimpse of what the world would be like without him, George is overwhelmed with gratitude for the life he’s been given, his friends, and his family.
• Ebenezer Scrooge is a self-centered, bitter, and greedy businessman. When three ghosts show him that his life has no life in it at all, he is brought to his knees with appreciation and begins living abundantly by serving others.
• When eight-year-old Kevin has had enough of his large family and being picked on, he wishes that they would all go away and leave him alone. He gets his wish, but in the process learns to be thankful for his big, imperfect family after all.
• Clark Griswold just wants a pool in the backyard. But when his boss destroys his dreams by withholding Clark's Christmas bonus, desperation pushes him to the brink of stupidity. On the verge of losing everything he thought mattered most, Clark is overcome with gratitude when he realizes all the blessings that truly matter.

Discovering gratitude is the key that unlocks the door to joy because of what is required by its transformative work. Being truly thankful for something or someone requires the humility to acknowledge that we don’t deserve the amazing blessing of whatever it is. Genuine thankfulness also requires self-forgetfulness. We cannot fully appreciate a blessing without letting go of our own self-interest and self-absorption. As long as we are more interested in ourselves, our personal welfare, and our own problems, we will never be able to even see the blessings that flood our lives every second of the day.

Authentic, deeply felt gratitude also requires vulnerability and meaningful connection. And while these factors are closely related to self-centeredness, they often elude us because of pride. No one likes to appear weak, needy, or less than perfect, so our pride prevents us from seeing the value in being vulnerable with the people who love us the most. Sometimes it even prevents us from forming relationships at all. We don’t want to risk getting hurt or rejected, so we don’t reach out or take the time to have a conversation with a stranger. And to numb the gaping void in our hearts, we tell ourselves that we don’t need someone or that they don’t care about us anyway.

Sure, movies are generally unrealistic and our inner cynics might be tempted to utter, “Bah-humbug,” under the weight of holiday chores, pushy crowds of shoppers, commercialism, and whatever other problems are going on in our lives. But the fact that gratitude paves the way to joy is undeniable, and I believe God specifically designed it that way. While the plot lines I mentioned don’t lead any of the characters to God directly, they all point to truth. They all pave a path in the heart to be humbled, thankful, and more open to receiving the ultimate gift at Christmastime — the Christ child. Having a spirit of thankfulness is a prerequisite for realizing that we all need the gift of Jesus. Gratitude generates warmth, pliability, and tenderness. Without it, a heart can grow colder and more cynical with each passing year of trials, rejection, and disappointments. Eventually, it can become as frigid and impenetrable as an icy windowpane, forever seeing life through a cold lens of hopelessness, bitterness, isolation, and no longer able to warm to the touch of another or feel the movement of the Spirit.

The sense of urgency that infuses most Christmas stories makes their storylines even more powerful. The main character needs to be saved by gratitude, a.k.a. the Christmas spirit, before it’s too late. Time and time again, a rush of gratitude at the last moment pulls him or her from the brink of disaster and reveals a new way forward. As believers in Jesus, the holiday season presents us with that same urgent reminder. And Thanksgiving is the first step in tenderizing the heart for the days ahead and announcing to the world that the clock has begun ticking down toward the greatest gift we will ever receive. If Thanksgiving were a person, I think it would be John the Baptist. He would stand on the doorsteps of our hearts and proclaim at the top of his lungs, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.” (Matthew 3:1-11) In other words, “Take the time to prepare your hearts for Jesus. Start right now by being thankful for the abundant blessings of God that flood your life on a daily basis. Open your eyes to see God’s goodness so that you will be able to see the Truth when He arrives.”

Randy Alcorn says in his book God’s Promises of Happiness, “God isn’t just in life’s monumental moments. He’s present in raindrops, in the artistry of spiderwebs, the sound of an acoustic guitar… a child’s laugh … a dog’s wagging tail… If we disregard these and thousands of other gifts, we don’t just fail to notice them, we fail to notice God.”

As Bing Crosby so famously crooned in White Christmas,
“When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.”

It’s as timely of a reminder today as it was when the movie debuted in 1954 — no matter what the holiday season brings this year or what state you find yourself in, your heart will find joy and peace in the act of being thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Philippians 4:6 also makes it clear that thanksgiving to God precedes the gift of peace. Everyone talks about peace during the holidays, but few people practice what is needed to truly experience it.

Memorializing Thanksgiving Day by expressing gratitude to those sitting around the table is common, and formally thanking God before diving into the endless food is generally accepted even in families that don’t regularly pray together. But this holiday is capable of being so much more than a fleeting moment of appreciation or a ritualistic prayer. It offers us a spiritual doorway to the Advent season, not so unlike the magical portal in the movie The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It beckons us to warm our cynical minds and weary souls by the fire of gratitude and make our hearts a ready home for the coming King.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful and soul-stirring Thanksgiving!
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