It is that time of year again, the time of turkeys, cranberry sauce, and relatives gathering together. In our case, two out of three apply – we have turkey and cranberry sauce. But what is this holiday called Thanksgiving is really about?
It helps to flash back to those struggling Puritan settlers; you know them, the guys with with the funny black hats and muskets that look like some guy should be playing a jazz tune through. Colonizing untamed lands was not easy and starvation was a constant threat. Early attempts at communal farming were a failure and the colonists were fortunate to be given charity by a local tribe of American Indians. Not starving to death was something to be very grateful for and so was the ability to practice their religion without government interference or persecution.
Flash forward to today and compare our lives to their hard scrabble existence. Even though times are tough by modern standards there is much to be grateful for. We are yet free and live in a land of abundance. While times are tough at the Boonedocks right now and won’t be getting any better in the foreseeable future, I am thankful that I have a roof over my head, food to eat, heat to keep me warm, and electricity to power the PC I’m typing this on. There are people who don’t have those things or are facing horrendous trials in their lives.
My prayer for this Thanksgiving:
I thank Thee, oh Father, for the blessings I enjoy. May those shattered families and individuals suffering today know comfort and healing, find their strengths that they have lost or not discovered, and know that redemption can be found by all of God’s children. May they know hope and peace during these hard times and find inspiration from those who have gone before them. Please help them to feel Thy love for them and remind them that they have the divine within them. Please help those of us who are blessed be better servants to those in need. In the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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