Thanksgiving 2008
November 25th, 2008You can search the Internet for many articles about the first Thanksgiving, and the subsequent evolution into the holiday we Americans now celebrate annually, but there is very little in today’s newspapers or newscasts about the reason for this special day.
This year is a hard one for many families whose savings have dissolved, or who have lost jobs, homes, etc. Yet it is nothing compared to what the first-ever Thanksgiving was like.
Reflect a moment as your family and friends sit down this day in 2008 and be gratful for what we have , but do not complain about what is missing.
Consider the first Thanksgiving when half of all the passengers who arrived on our eastern shore had died that first winter. Yet those present at the first celebration were grateful for what they had. They had survived a vicious winter, built houses in the wilderness and learned through friendly Indians how to plant corn and other crops. In other words, those first settlers learned to survive.
But they didn’t believe they had done that all all by themselves. Rather, they wanted to thank God for what they had — and which they were about to receive. There would not have been enough food for everyone if it had not been for the bountiful gifts their Indian guests brought. So there was not only enough for everyone, but there was harmony among strangers in a new land and friendly neighbors.
In an imperfect world, human perfection is hard to find, but the spirit of Thanksgiving is as abundant and available today as it was when the first settlers gathered to give thanks to their Creator.
So, in spite of the economic news of the day, the same God who saw the first settlers through their harsh landing on these shores is still able to provide for us today. As we gather for this year’s Thanksging meal, regardless of our individual religious beliefs, it would be prudent to at least say a silent prayer of thanks for all we have — especially our friends, family, and other loved ones.
May your Thanksgiving be memorable for what has been provided, and may your tomorrows be in the same expectant spirt as the original Pilgrims who carved out a nation under God and made it possible for what you and do have this Thanksgiving Day.