Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Do you have traditions that you’re revisiting again this year, or are you trying anything new?

One tradition that seems to happen each year is dread about seeing certain family members with a radically different worldview than yours. Many people I speak with are anxious about who they’ll see at Thanksgiving.  

It’s likely that your plans are already in motion, and you know you’ll be seeing someone who provokes toxic emotions within you.

I encourage you to avoid triggering topics, follow rules for conversations, and be mindful of how your body is reacting to certain scenarios. If the weather allows, get out for a walk with trusted guests and be intentional with whom you engage in conversations with.

Remember that alcohol consumption can create unsafe spaces as we are more likely to remove any filters we have when talking about our feelings.

A friend shared that his coping mechanism to enjoy Thanksgiving is lean into the reason why we’re celebrating the holiday in the first place. Thankfulness. What are we grateful for?

While anxiety might be at the front of our thoughts before a gathering, who are you excited to see? What are you excited to eat? What are you excited to do with people that you love, care about, and trust?

Simple reframing can be helpful in orienting our focus.

You might know the story about Jesus feeding 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and two fish. It’s one of the miraculous stories in the Bible and an event of gratitude for what God provides.

Yet, did you know that in John’s gospel, after the miraculous feeding, the crowd re-gathers the next day? It’s like having a Thanksgiving feast at your house and nobody leaves. Even crazy Uncle John.   

They wanna eat again. The leftovers have been consumed. Jesus, give us more food.

Jesus had preached and told the people about the kingdom of God, but it’s like they fell asleep through the sermon and only remembered how this guy filled their bellies.

Jesus talks about spiritual hunger and thirst. He says that he’s the bread of life and following him, they’ll never be hungry or thirsty. It’s more than the food. It’s the faith.

Our gathering around a table at Thanksgiving is an act of faith. It’s an expression of gratitude for what God has given us.

In Forest Lake, the response to filling up the food shelves due to the government shutdown and having available meals for families in need continues to be remarkable. At Faith Lutheran, we had a special offering for the food shelves and received double the amount we expected. Nobody in our town should go hungry over the holiday.

In my house, nobody will go hungry either. We’re mixing old and new traditions. We will welcome new faces to our table. I am grateful for the friends and family that will surround each other. I’m excited to welcome our oldest child home from college. We have so much to be thankful for.  

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Pass me the stuffing. Thanks be to God.

Pastor John Klawiter is the senior pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation in Forest Lake. For more information, email him at