Years ago, I managed a parent’s morning out program at church, and my role included curriculum and craft planning. Oh, how I loved fall’s inspiration. I didn’t have to look beyond my front yard and calendar for ideas – leaves changing color always put on a spectacular show, and the Thanksgiving holiday built an easy theme of “thankfulness” for our toddlers.

As a mom of three, I always loved whatever crafts my kids brought home. Is there anything cuter than a turkey created from a little one’s hand or an excessively embellished construction paper maple leaf? (Though glitter might just be a teacher’s sparkly payback to parents for a classroom full of rambunctious children.)

I’m one of those people who genuinely appreciates “the reason for the season” when it comes to holidays, and at the heart of Thanksgiving is gratitude. Maybe it’s hokey, but I truly love hearing what people are thankful for as we circle around the table, drawn together by family tradition.

Turkey, dressing, and all the fixings are a fine feast for the body, but conversation and connection among people you love is a life-giving feast for the soul.

Old Testament to New, the Bible has a lot to say about thankfulness; in the ESV translation, there are 162 mentions of some form of the word “thanks.” That tells me it’s important to God. And, what’s important to God, should be important to you and me.

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” In a world that seems to be increasingly, well, rude, it is more essential than ever to instill gratitude and godliness in our children. True, children are most captive to a parent’s authority while living at home, but we can still influence adult kids whenever we’re together. When we model godly attributes, it continues to reinforce what they learned when they were young.

It’s equally important to remember that your influence isn’t limited to children in your life. Everyone we encounter can be impacted by how we live and how we treat them.

Even if you’re in the midst of a really hard season – especially if you’re in the midst of a really hard season – it’s important to look for reasons to be thankful and to express your gratitude to God.

So, with the Thanksgiving holiday nearing, regardless of who you’ll be celebrating with, why not be intentional about encouraging a thankful heart?

Do keep reading at (in)courage to find a few fun ideas that will engage family and friends of all ages!  Prefer listening? (in)courage has today’s podcast episide waiting for you!