Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself what you should give thanks for this year. This may take some time to reflect on, but it is well worth the exercise! Take your focus away from what you may not have, and instead turn your focus to all that you have been given. As you are preparing to celebrate this lovely tradition, in simple or lavish ways, you will have so much more as you give thanks this year! And why not share what you discovered at the holiday table? It will turn a meal into a real feast!

A dear friend shared with me about her family’s favorite holiday memory. Years ago, she and her family had made the hard decision that, despite the financial consequences, she would quit her high-paying job which had security and the potential of even better pay. Why? Because she valued her God-given role as wife and mother even more. This choice was made because, even though her paycheck had made life more materially comfortable, her husband and child were poorer without her being home.

That year, as Christmas came, there were no extra funds to celebrate. She shared with me that at the end of the month there was a time they ate oatmeal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bills were paid, but there was nothing left for gifts or decorations. Nevertheless, celebrate they did. Without the distractions of shopping and trimming a tree, they focused on loving each other and remembering the Savior who came into the world that first Christmas—lying in a manger, wrapped in nothing but swaddling cloths. Even more precious were the lessons the family learned. Love came without a price tag and the true riches they possessed were not wrapped in pretty paper, soon to be forgotten. They were true riches that, to this day, sparkle and shine in their memories.

As she shared this story of thankfulness, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for the true gifts they gave each other that year. Love for each other and the love of the Savior were the eternal rewards, and the sacrifice seemed small compared to what they received. The true gift was discovered as the superficial gifts were stripped away.

God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of their necessity. Their love for each other revealed in time cherished and spent with family. God in the midst of less…was so much more than they could imagine.
Perhaps this year there will be less to spend on Christmas…and maybe this will turn out to be your best Christmas ever.