It's that time of year again. I am amazed at how much earlier Christmas seems to come to advertisers and retailers. I've seen Christmas trees, lit and ready; stockings hung on store walls; wreaths, ropes and bulbs. Wrapping paper too. It's not even Thanksgiving yet. I don't know why folks like to trapse over Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday.

Some people immediately understand why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Usually, it's their favorite too or they just get why it's so important. But others need a little explanation. And that's okay. Someone once told me that they couldn't understand the importance of Thanksgiving since we do not exchange gifts. They argued that on Christmas, Valentine's Day and even Birthdays, we get gifts. And they wondered why I would choose lowly Thanksgiving, the holiday with no gifts, to pick as my favorite.

Well, here's what I told them - paraphrased, of course. I believe we do get a gift on Thanksgiving. And, it's the best gift. It's not the food - it's the company. Thanksgiving is the holiday where we get to celebrate each other. We celebrate how God has been good to us in providing for our every need. We celebrate how we've been able to use the resources that God has provided to glorify His name. We celebrate the cooks in the kitchen, whether it's our own kitchen or not, as we partake of all the pleasantries that grace each table. We talk. We live. We just are. At Thanksgiving, we see folks we hardly ever see anymore and we re-connect. I love Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful to God for Thanksgiving. I wish these pesky retailers would stop trying to rush and/or overlook my favorite holiday, and instead just be grateful.