Why I Love Thanksgiving
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
I Chronicles 16:34
I’ve got a love affair going with Thanksgiving. It’s been going on for over 60 years. Hands down, it’s my favorite holiday.
Here’s why.
First of all, it offers so much of what I hold dear without the hype of commercialism.
All too many stores and shopping centers jump from Halloween to Christmas. It’s spooks to Santa…pumpkins to presents… orange and black to red and green.
And in between is this special day between all the hype and hoopla when, for a few hours, there’s a moment of sanity. Indeed, even those that are borderline irreligious often pause to count their blessings.
Second, it highlights home and family.
The warmth of a fireplace, the smells from the kitchen…the anticipation of turkey and all the fixings, homemade rolls, and pumpkin pie…the laughter of kids and grandkids…the holding hands and praying before the meal…the sharing of old stories and new football games. Home and family – they’re a cherished part of Thanksgiving.
Third, it drips with national nostalgia.
For me, it does so even more than the 4th of July. That holiday reminds us of the battle we won and the independence we gained. This holiday takes us back to our very roots when our forefathers realized their dependence upon Almighty God.
Are you familiar with some of the details of its history?
In 1621, settlers in Massachusetts celebrated what has come to be regarded as the first thanksgiving in the New World. The 53 pilgrims in attendance were the only survivors from the original 102 colonists who had come over on the Mayflower a year earlier. Disease and starvation had struck down nearly half of them.
Now, having had a bountiful harvest, and with the provision of game offered by the native Americans (who were also invited to the feast), colonist leader William Bradford declared a day of celebration and reflection.
On October 3, 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation creating the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the government of the United States of America.
John Adams and James Madison followed his lead. However, these were merely presidential proclamations and not official holidays.
It wasn’t until October 3, 1863, at the height of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation encouraging Americans "in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."
Thanksgiving has been celebrated in the United States as a national holiday ever since. And, as such, it reminds me of God’s beneficent hand on our country down through the years.
Fourth, Thanksgiving allows me a time of quiet reflection upon the past year.
Thanksgiving serves as an annual reminder of how very faithful the Lord has been. On this holiday, as at no other, we count our blessings and we run out of time before we exhaust the list.
Thanksgiving serves as an annual reminder of how very faithful the Lord has been. On this holiday, as at no other, we count our blessings and we run out of time before we exhaust the list.
Finally, Thanksgiving gives me hope.
For all the mystery of the future, Thanksgiving gives me hope that God will be no less faithful in the weeks and months to come. As such, its influence goes on well after the leftover turkey is eaten.
And for all of that, I am truly thankful.
PRAYER
Lord, I recognize that the giving of thanks should extend well beyond one day. Indeed, your mercies are new every morning. And, in light of that, my gratitude should be a daily occurrence. But today - on this special day - I choose to stop for an extended length of time to reflect on your grace and goodness, and to say…from the bottom of my heart…THANK YOU!
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