There is a great story in Joshua 4:1-24 that I think directly relates to our 2020 Thanksgiving Week.

As the children of Israel were crossing over the river Jordan into the Promised Land, the Lord told Joshua to choose 12 men, one from every tribe, and have them grab a large boulder from the bed of the river.

Once they were over on the other side, God told them to stack up the boulders and make a monument. And then He said, “In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘what do these stones mean?’ Tell them, Israel crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what He had done to the Red Sea…”

God meant those stones to be a reminder of His faithfulness to the nation of Israel. He had them placed in a strategic spot so that every time they passed by that way, they would recall His protection and graciousness.

Family traditions, like the Thanksgiving holiday give us an opportunity to remember God’s faithfulness too. This week as your family traditions unfold (perhaps with some new twists), let’s all take this opportunity to do some serious remembering.

Share some stories. Maybe dig out a photo or two and use them as visuals as your talk about your childhood, or your wedding, or about the birth of your children. Lead your entire family to acknowledge God’s goodness to you all.

Go find one of your old bibles. Lay it out on the dining room table. Maybe one of the kids will ask, “What does this Bible (stone) mean?” And then you can share all about your spiritual heritage. Tell the story of your salvation. Give them details of how God met you that first time.

Download some music that matters to you. Have the family sit and listen as you tell what was going on during that period of your life. Where did you see Jesus in those circumstances? Or maybe share why He wasn’t an important part of your life right then.

Our holidays are going to be different this year. Let’s make them intentionally different with a clear focus on the faithfulness of God. We can do this!