Thankful Thursday: Inspiring thanksgiving in Togo

So many blessings . . . so little time. One day isn't enough to express thanksgiving, but at least our country sets aside a holiday to consider what we're grateful for. It's in danger, however, of being co-opted by football and shopping.

Meanwhile, over in Africa, one of  partners wrote this reflection:

Not in Africa, but only in the U.S. . . . [There is] no Thanksgiving Day as a holiday in any of the 54 countries in Africa nor in Togo, my home country. . . . I do not know about other continents like, Asia, Europe, South America and Australia.

Joseph Akakpo of Togo went on to tell about how it "just happened" he had scheduled a day for thanksgiving and testimonies at the LomNava church on November 25, "not knowing November 22nd is a BIG holiday of thanksgiving in the U.S." Here's how it went:

I want to tell you that, we had a wonderful Sunday morning worship with thanksgiving. After the Holy Spirit led me to preach on the attitude of giving thanks taken from Luke 17:11-19, the saints in the church felt guilty of being ingratitude to the Lord. In fact a lady and a man were crying while they shared their ungrateful hearts. There were lot of inspiring testimonies I have not heard from the brethren before after being with them for three years now. They really poured their hearts this morning and said all to free themselves after the conviction of the Holy Spirit to be grateful to the Lord. . . . 

They even shared a meal -- "not finger food but the real one. Yes, we eat to our satisfaction and we praise God for that." Maybe our brothers and sisters in Africa will lead us back to the real purpose of Thanksgiving Day.

For even though they knew God, 

they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, 

but they became futile in their speculations, 

and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Professing to be wise, they became fools. 

(Romans 1:21-22)