"Giving Thanks"

"I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly." (Psalms 85:8)  If you're like me, you want everything to be as perfect as you can absolutely make it, in whatever you do; I just can't stand to see something done in a way that shows disregard for doing it right. That said, there are some areas I could stand to have a little improvement; no strike that, major improvements! Going to sleep last night, I struggled to stop thinking about preparing this Thanksgiving supper; mostly because I have never actually roasted a turkey on my own, let alone, a stuffed one. But as I was praying, I felt the Lord speak into my heart about this verse, and how my struggle to have perfection does not always show up when it comes to making an impression on Him. I love to impress my friends and family with foods that I cook; always trying to make the perfect receipt and always loving to hear how much they loved it. Why don't I always look for that same kind of reaction from the Lord in everything that I do? I really think the He has a pretty good point. If I am His servant, then not only should I listen carefully to everything that He says, but I should do all that I can to make sure I do everything that He says, also. Don't get me wrong, I have mostly tried to be a good servant; but when it come to impressing God by my willingness to obey all of His commands, I could seriously use some improvements. I don't just throw some stuff together and hope that it is edible; I plan a meal carefully, making sure it has every ingredient called for, and making sure each step of the process is followed to perfection. But beyond that, I always try to add something that makes it special. There is where I think a lack perfection, in wanting to make it special to God; and when I say it, I am talking about my being His servant. When it comes to giving thanks, I think we sometimes miss the point behind what it means to be truly thankful for what we have been given. It's easy enough to say thank you to anyone; I do it all day long, even if it is me that is doing a favor for someone else. But when it comes to truly being thankful to God for our salvation, it should come with a sense of urgency to show Him that we are really truly thankful for what He has done. It's not just about the Blessed Assurance, it's not just about the Abundant Peace; it is about truly wanting to show Him that we are grateful for all that He has done, which we do by actually wanting to be perfect and to impress Him with our lives...
"After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs, " Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked him the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep."" (John 21:15-17) NLT