Thanksgiving -for me it conjures up images of school projects about pilgrims, Indians, a big feast, & the Mayflower.Then my mind rolls on over to today's Thanksgiving of eating too much from a wonderfully rich and amazing meal, surrounded by relatives that I don't see often enough with the blaring noise of football in the background.
Not bad images - I'm sure lots of people would love to have memories of Thanksgiving that don't involve family fights, heavy drinking, shouting matches, or other sad or lonely recollections. I'm blessed... no doubt about it.
But much of Thanksgiving's essence has been forgotten. Thanksgiving was begun as a 3-day party to say thanks to friends who helped the Pilgrims make it through the trial of learning how to survive in a new environment. It was a time to make and strengthen friendships. It was also a time of being Thankful to God, their Creator, Savior, and Provider. It was time to worship as they believed they should, in their own ways! They celebrated their bountiful harvest by sharing with each other. They also celebrated the fact that so many of them had survived the trip across the ocean with all its hardships and diseases. It was a time to remember those who had been lost. Winter just about wiped them out...but spring had come just in time and God provided a teacher named Squanto to show them the ropes of surviving in this new wilderness. (These pilgrim city slickers needed all the help they could get!) So they celebrated their new life in this amazing land!
So, in keeping the tradition of Thanksgiving alive, be sure this Thanksgiving you take time out to say Thanks:
To God who has provided every good and perfect gift- both your eternal life and a life full of blessings here and now
To family (biological or chosen) who have supported you through life's tough times and loved you in spite of your faults
To friends, without whom life would be a lonely adventure
And for life itself, with its lessons & tests. Remember those who have influenced you by passing their life lessons on to you. Remember those who you have loved and lost, and honor their memory by loving those God sends your way. And don't neglect to forgive those who have harmed you or hurt you in some way, just as God has forgiven YOU. Let Thanksgiving be a new beginning in your life!
While every day should be a day of Thanksgiving, remember at least on this one special day to say Thanks - even if you have to do it at halftime between second and third helpings of your favorite indulgences!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
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