A Dysfunctional Family and Thanksgiving

Happy Sunday. Happy Thanksgiving. I love this time of year. I am so thankful when my family gets together.

I look forward to the next several days. Our house and our hearts and our stomachs will be full. I realize that I am more than blessed. We all get along.

We truly love each other. Sadly, there are some families that choose to bypass getting together altogether. They know that fighting is inevitable, so they just avoid one another. Dysfunction is truly an enemy to Thanksgiving.

Or is it? Can you be thankful even though your family is dysfunctional? Can you celebrate even though the circumstances around you are chaotic? I've known some people that dread Thanksgiving.

PJ Oor said, "Thanksgiving is so-called because we are all so thankful that it only comes once a year." I found some other quotes from folks who are not in the mood to give thanks. Andy Borrowit said, "For those of you who cannot be with family this Thanksgiving, please resist the urge to brag." Someone named Melanie White said, "Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings one by one as each relative goes home."

I have a friend that used to say, "The best holiday lights are the tail lights of cars of family as they're leaving the house." I'm thankful I love my family. I stand at the garage door and cry as they pull away because I love them. So those quotes I mentioned are not my sentiments at all.

I do, however, realize that some have a different experience than I do. Today, let's talk about King David. Yes, the one who killed Goliath, the shepherd boy who became king of Israel. David wrote around half of the 150 psalms that are in the Bible, about half the book.

You're familiar with many of them. David had a thankful heart. He also had a dysfunctional family. Back to the question, can you be thankful even though your family is dysfunctional?

Even though your circumstances are bizarre? Well, if you look at the life and family of David, the answer is a resounding yes. You can be thankful in spite of circumstance. David's family was very messed up.

We have a partial roll call of his offspring in chapter 3 of 1 Chronicles. Listen to this about his family. These are the sons of David who were born to him. These are the sons of David who were born in Hebron.

The oldest was Amnen whose mother was Ahanam from Jezreel. The second was Daniel whose mother was Abigail from Carmel. The third was Abselum whose mother was Mecca the daughter of Telmi the king of Gishure. The fourth was Adinijah, whose mother was Haggath.

The fifth was Shephi, whose mother was Abatal. The sixth was Eitham, whose mother was Egla, David's wife. These six sons were born to David and Hebron, where he reigned seven and a half years. And then David reigned another 33 years in Jerusalem.

The sons born to David in Jerusalem included included Shamua, Chobab, Nathan, and Solomon. That's a name you'd recognize. Their mother was Ba' Sheba. You'd recognize her name, too.

Ba Sheeba was the daughter of Amile. David also had nine other sons. Ibar, Alishua, Elpet, Noga, Nephag, Jaffia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eleph. These were the sons of David, not including his sons born to concubines.

Their sister was named Tamar. Big list. That list included 19 sons and one daughter. In verse 9, we're told that this list did not include his sons born to other concubines.

It also did not include the list of daughters. Only one was mentioned. David had eight wives that are named in scripture. This was a large group and it gave new meaning to dysfunction.

Let me tell you about a few of his boys, just a couple of them. Amnen, the firstborn, raped his halfsister, Tamar. She was the only girl mentioned in the genealogy in 1 Chronicles. Abselum, the thirdborn son, killed his oldest brother, Amnen, for what he did to Tamar.

Abselum also plotted to steal David's throne. And you can read about their lives in the book of First Kings. We have no idea what the other children did. David's son Solomon, as you know, became king of Israel, but he too had his own issues.

If any father had reason to be depressed and ashamed, it was David. He could have written a series of books on shame and dysfunction and depression. But what did David write? He wrote psalms.

Many of them. Let me share one of the psalms that David wrote with you. It is Psalm 133, a psalm of David. There he wrote, "I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.

I will sing your praises before the gods. I bow before your holy temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness. For your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

As soon as I pray, you answer me. You encourage me by giving me strength. Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord, for all of them will hear your words. Yes, they will sing about the Lord's ways.

For the glory of the Lord is very great. And though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand and the power of your right hand saves me.

David continues, "The Lord will work out his plans for my life, for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me." That's Psalm 133 in its entirety. In spite of all of his problems, David was a thankful man.

Despite all of his circumstance, David was thankful. I love how that psalm began. I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart. One of the reasons why David could do that is found in verse 7 where he said, "Though I am surrounded by troubles," and he was, "Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me."

Happy Thanksgiving. I've learned over the years that I can be thankful regardless of circumstance. Focus on your blessings. Trust God.

Be thankful. Enjoy your week. Pray with me. God, thank you.

Thank you for blessings that we take for granted. Thank you for people that we love and people that love us. Thank you for the things we are able to do and for the things that you have protected us from. Thankful for our families.

Thank you for our circumstances, whatever they may be. Let us love you with our whole heart. Let us be thankful in Jesus name. Amen.

God bless. Have a great week. Happy Thanksgiving.