Thanksgiving: When God Sets the Table

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and lately I’ve been struck by the image of preparation. Two scenes in particular keep coming to mind:

1) A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Poor Charlie Brown never meant to host a Thanksgiving meal, but once his friends invited themselves over, he did his best. He, Snoopy and Linus whipped up toast with butter, pretzels, jellybeans, and popcorn while the iconic Peanuts theme played in the background. But when the guests arrived, they scolded him for not serving the “real” Thanksgiving foods: turkey, dressing, all the classics. No one seemed to appreciate the effort he put in, even though he never asked to host in the first place.

2) The Cosby Show (Season 6, Episode 9 – “Thanksgiving at the Huxtables”)

This episode shows the Huxtable family in full holiday-prep mode: Claire coordinating everything, Cliff searching around town (in the pouring down rain) hunting down last-minute ingredients, and the men being banished to the basement while the women handle the cooking. A phone call between Claire and her daughter, Sondra, captures the chaos perfectly:

Claire: Hello? Sondra. Hi, we are working through this day, and I certainly do hope we make it because we’ve never had 15 people for Thanksgiving dinner before.

Anna (Cliff’s mother): And we never will again.

Claire: How’s turkey number two? Oh great! Then with our bird, that makes 24 pounds of turkey. Your grandmother’s making a mess of collard greens and ham hocks. Yes, well, Martin and your grandfather are busy down in the basement.

Rudy: Don’t forget about us!

Olivia: Yeah, the pie makers!

Claire: Oh yes, and the girls are up to their ears in dough, they could open their own pie shop, and baby, I got got to get off the phone, this is war, bye.

[Bonus illustration]: And of course, longtime fans will remember Season 1 where Theo is training to carve the Thanksgiving turkey… on a cabbage.

All of these scenes speak to preparation. And this month, while walking through two funerals just four days apart, a line from Scripture landed differently for me:

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

This verse is familiar to many of us. David is praising God for coming through — not abstractly, but personally. He’s remembering the effort God has put into walking with him, protecting him, and providing for him even in the darkest seasons.

At funerals, Psalm 23 reminds us of God’s presence in the “valley of the shadow of death,” but its meaning stretches even further. It speaks of God’s promise, His presence, His protection, and His provision.

To think that God puts that much effort into preparing something for us…

This week, many of us will spend hours cooking for people who may or may not notice the effort. We’ll sit with relatives we may or may not enjoy. We’ll participate in traditions we may or may not love. And yet, effort will be poured out.

But long before our ovens warm up, God has already been preparing on our behalf.

He created the world.

He delivered His people in the storm.

He provided salvation — freedom from sin.

He prepares a place for us in eternity.

He is constantly pouring out effort because He loves us and wants a real relationship with us.

He is fighting for us. He is preparing for us. He is with us.

The only questions are: Do we recognize it? Do we appreciate it?

Take heart this Thanksgiving.

No matter what life has thrown your way, you do have something to be thankful for: God has prepared a table for you — even in the presence of your enemies. No matter what you’re facing, God is working for your good.

Anyway, I was just thinking…

P.S. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving season! 🦃🍁