As I think about thankfulness, I’m reminded of some Canadian geese I saw on a nearby lake. A flock of those honkers was floating out on the water, when they suddenly decided to relocate (which they will all do all too soon). I’ve seen geese all my life, but for the first time I observed how these big birds use their feet to take flight. As they start flapping their wings, their legs begin churning and all at once their webbed feet are on top of the water, giving them a running start to get airborne.
I’ve always known waterfowl needed webbed feet for paddling around, but now I see that webbing also helps them fly. God is such a wise Creator. And those webbed feet are for His glory, as God is the One “for whom and by whom all things exist” (Hebrews 2:10).
I’m not sure if geese can feel or express thankfulness, but if they could, they have much for which to give thanks: keen eyesight, insulating feathers, aerodynamic wings, webbed feet, and the common sense to head south for the winter. Perhaps praising God is actually built right into a goose’s nature, as the very last verse of Psalms proclaims, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
Come to think of it, you and I have a gaggle of blessings too. Maybe there’s one or two gifts from God that you haven’t noticed or appreciated. This week could be a perfect time to reflect on all the different ways the Lord has blessed. Freedom, family, friends, and food all quickly come to mind. And there’s so much more, including God’s gift of the gospel to us.
I hope your joy in the Lord fills you to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). Happy Thanksgiving.
