A Thanksgiving Day Reflection From Pastor Chase

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. For some families, Thanksgiving is a single day. But for the Jones family, it’s a season. Thanksgiving doesn’t start when the turkey hits the table. No, it starts the moment Thanksgiving week begins.

Last night we had our Thanksgiving Eve dinner together, and today we’re gearing up for the “official” dinner… which, side note, never actually starts at the scheduled time. The group text said “Dinner at 4:30.” But if we’re eating before 7, something supernatural has occurred. But that’s another blog post for another day.

This Thanksgiving feels especially meaningful for me. As many of you know, earlier this year I faced some unexpected health challenges. Practically overnight, because of a rare nerve condition, I almost lost my ability to walk. There was a season where I genuinely didn’t know what the next day would look like for me. But by God’s grace, I’ve made almost a full recovery. There are still some lingering pains and adjustments, but God has brought me into a new normal, and with it, a deeper sense of gratitude.

This year I’ve found myself thankful for things I used to overlook:
I’m thankful for the cold, because I can feel it.
I’m thankful for hunger pains, because hunger means I’m alive and my body works.
I’m thankful when there’s food on the table, whether it’s something I love or not.
And I’m thankful simply to be here, celebrating another Thanksgiving in 2025.

One of my great heroes of the faith, Lemuel Haynes, knew something about trials. Haynes was the first Black pastor to lead a predominantly white congregation in the United States (a remarkable work of God’s providence in the late 1700s).  He faced hardship, prejudice, physical weakness, and discouragement. And yet, Haynes possessed a deep, joyful trust in the sovereign goodness of God.

He once wrote, "He who observes providence shall never be without providence to observe.”

In other words, if we pay attention to God’s blessings, both big and small, we won’t run out of reasons to give thanks. Gratitude grows where attention goes.

That’s really the heart of Thanksgiving.

Not the perfect meal. Not the perfectly-timed meal (which, again, has never existed in my family). But the reminder that God has given us another day, another sunrise, and another opportunity to say “Thank You.”

Life can change in a moment. This time last year, I had no idea what 2025 would hold. And none of us knows what next Thanksgiving 2026 will look like, or who will be sitting around our tables. But we do know this: Thanksgiving is a gift, and the God who gave it is faithful.

So whether your dinner is already over, about to begin, or in that mysterious in-between stage where no one quite knows when the food is coming (like my family right now), I want you to hear this:

I am thankful for you.
I am thankful for our church.
And I am praying that we would cultivate hearts of gratitude, today and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving, church family.
See you this Sunday.