Yelling at the T.V.

My hubby seems to be under the delusion that the television is an interactive appliance. It's the only explanation I have come up with for all the conversations he has with the big box in our living room.

In the morning, he holds witty debates with the news anchors over at NBC, imploring them to present a more fair and balanced view of politics. In the evenings, he cheers on his favorite (insert appropriate sport/season here) teams on to victory.

And should his beloved Auburn Tigers show up for a Saturday game now and then, we wear earplugs and give him a ten foot radius to yell, cheer, jump, and challenge the calls made by the refs. He doesn't seem too disappointed when no one from the other side of the screen responds, so I've learned to live with it.

But over time (we've been married more than ten years), I have apparently learned how to do a little more than "live with it". Because last week I caught myself having a conversation with Moose A. Moose.

For those of you who don't know Mr. Moose, he's the host of NOGGIN, a channel of shows for preschoolers. Between each show, Moose A. Moose comes out with his little friends to star in educational segues for the regular programming (kinda like commercials, but not exactly).

Each month is a different theme, complete with puzzles, songs, games and short stories. Well, November is the month to Give Thanks! That's great. I appreciate that NOGGIN wants to foster a spirit of gratitude in my child. But I question their motivations after learning last month that we should all "Wrap our arms around Mother Earth" and give her a big squeeze for giving us air, water, and animals. Hmmm...

I happened to stroll through the living room during a Moose A. Moose segment last week. He was singing a cute song, extolling the virtues of giving thanks for mom and dad, for food, for water, for our pets, the list went on. And I suddenly found myself engaged in an intense "debate" with my yellow cartoon friend.

"To WHO? Thankful to WHO?" I asked.

Unlike my hubby, I'm still an amateur at this "talking-to-the-t.v." thing, because I kind of expected an answer. Which is why I went on to clarify myself. "I appreciate that you want to teach my child to be thankful. But doesn't it seem a little vague to remind them of their blessings but forget to mention Who they should be thanking for all those blessings."

The moose had no response.

And while I was a little disappointed in myself for yelling at the T.V., I have been reminded of that question over and over again this week.

"To Who?" Who is the recipient of my gratitude? Do I make enough effort to credit my God for being the source of my blessings? Or do I settle for just being generally thankful?

Tomorrow, I want to share some of the reasons I'm thankful this year. But today, if you have found your way here, I want to tell you WHO deserves every word of thanks that spills off of these lips.

My Creator, my Healer, my Sustainer and Provider, my Comfort and Shelter, my Rock, my Father, my Savior, my Counselor, the Giver of all good things. God! He's the One I'm thanking today!

(And unlike my T.V., He's always up for a great conversation...)

Psalm 110: 4-5
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.