Family, food and football, the essence of American Thanksgiving.

The house is filled with the aroma of roasting turkey, fresh pie and homemade rolls. The table, set with the best china, is laden with salads and vegetable dishes, and a heaping dish of potatoes. The family’s favorite stuffing, gravy, pickles and olives take up any remaining space.  Have I forgotten anything?

We prepare for the meal for days. We check the ads for the best prices. Clean the house. Polish the silver. (Do people still do that?) We do whatever is important for us to enjoy the perfect Thanksgiving.

Over dinner we join hands and offer a prayer of thanks to God.  We enumerate His blessings—Aunt Susie’s improved health, the birth of the newest baby, snow (or no snow), a day off work… They are all things worth celebrating.  But I wonder, have we lost sight of the greater significance of the holiday?

A Little History

The Pilgrims who suffered great loss in their journey and settlement in the New World, gathered to share a feast with the Wampanoag Indians after their first bountiful harvest.  Later the Puritans gathered for times of thanksgiving for God’s care and provision.

By the mid 1800s many states celebrated Thanksgiving, but there was no unified date for the holiday.  Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, was concerned for the nation. The United States had become The Divided States. And the nation was moving toward civil war. Mrs Hale began a letter writing campaign to have a united Thanksgiving day in hopes of averting war.  Her campaign lasted 17 years. Finally, in 1863, President Lincoln designated the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks

God has abundantly blessed our country.  Whether you are gathered at a family feast tomorrow or are alone with a turkey pot pie and the Hallmark Channel, spend some time recounting God’s rich blessings, both to our country and to you. Then, from a sincere heart, give Him the thanks due His name.

I want to share one more Thanksgiving song with you. Click here tohear Kristyn Getty sing My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Ginger