Part of thanksgiving gatherings is asking everyone to share something they are truly thankful for and why. You all know the game. Here are a few that may tickle your funny bone and others that will challenge and encourage.

“The thing I am most grateful for right now is elastic waistbands.” – Unknown

“Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.” – Will Rogers

“We all know mirrors do not lie. I am just grateful that they do not laugh.”  -Unknown

“We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics.”  –  William Vaughn

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” – Eric Hoffer

“If each day is a gift, I would like to know where I can return on Monday.” – Unknown

“Even though we can’t have all we want, we ought to be thankful we don’t get what we deserve.”  – Unknown

“I want to say thank you to all the people who walked into my life and made it outstanding, and all the people who walked out of my life and made it fantastic.” – Unknown

“I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home…I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loves ones are nearby.” – Nancie J. Carmody

“You ought to be thankful a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not!”  – Dr. Seuss

Tulsa Bible Church pastor Jared Verwiel shared a quote from Matthew Henry – Bible Commentator after being accosted on the streets of London and the four things he was thankful for.

Let me be thankful because I have never been robbed before.

Let me be thankful, he took my wallet, but he did not take my life.

Let me be thankful, he took all I had, but it was not much.

Let me be thankful because it was I who was robbed and not who robbed.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances…”  The word “all” is an inclusive word that touches every part of our life in a wonderful way.

Context: Paul encourages the Thessalonians to give thanks in every circumstance, not just when things are going well, but in all situations. This verse is part of Paul’s instructions on living a life that honors God in all things.

Interesting Aspect: The command to give thanks “in all circumstances” challenges the natural human tendency to give thanks only when things are easy or favorable. This concept of thankfulness is a spiritual discipline, recognizing God’s sovereignty even in hardship.

Unique Use: Thankfulness is not just for the good times; it is a response to God’s will and a trust that He is at work in every situation, even the difficult ones.

This example shows how “thankfulness” in the Bible is woven into various aspects of life—worship, crisis, daily life, and eternity. In many cases, it is tied not just to receiving blessings but to an ongoing, spiritual discipline of recognizing God’s goodness in all circumstances, even in hardship. The most unique and interesting uses highlight thankfulness as a radical, transformative response to God’s sovereignty and grace, shaping not only individual lives but also the collective worship of God’s people across time.