Creating A Thanksgiving Tradition
As you sit today to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family, what traditions are you creating for your children and their children?
In 1621, 53 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians held a harvest feast after a successful growing season, commonly called the “First Thanksgiving.” However, it was not until November 26, 1863 that Thanksgiving would become a federal holiday. It was President Abraham Lincoln who proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”
Fast forward 149 years and we have a modern day Thanksgiving that often is void of thankfulness to our Heavenly Father. Today many people will be blessed to spend time with their families, but their celebration will not include giving thanks for the sacrifices of many that made this day possible.
I ask you to create a tradition for your children and their children to stand in a spirit of gratefulness, not just this Thanksgiving, but every day of their lives.Don’t allow the conversations over this Thanksgiving meal to become about politics or blaming others. Give thanks to God for enriching your life, for all you have and all He gives.
As you sit down today, I ask you give thanks to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I ask you to pray a blessing over those who worked on the farms and factories to make your meal possible. Take a moment to pray for those who have lost loved ones and are hurting today. I ask you to say a prayer for our soldiers that are fighting at this very moment for our freedoms and never forget those who have died to give you this opportunity of Thanksgiving.
As Denise and I spend the day with our family, we will continue to give thanks for our blessings. We will be praying for you and your family, praying for our Nation and for those who need the breath of life that only the Holy Spirit can provide.
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