Happy Thanksgiving

Dawn

Today, Thanksgiving has degenerated so many don’t even know why we have it. And the myth of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock and the Native American Indians who took pity on them is scorned as proof of the illegitimacy of America’s power as a nation. For myself, I relish the time to spend with family and enjoy great food in a feast.

October 3, 1863 the Union Army won a victory against the Confederate Army at Gettysberg. The loss of life is legendary but not many Americans realize that this was the true start of Thanksgiving for us as Americans. Lincoln called for a perpetual day of prayer and thanksgiving for our nation, and declared November 26, 1863 to be an official day of Thanksgiving for the nation where we give thanks to God for his mercy and forgiveness and to pray for those who fought for our country as well as our leaders that we continue to follow in His ways with humility. The address was written by Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William Seward, a former rival but won over by Lincoln to be a loyal supporter, so that ‘every 4th Thursday of November be a day of ‘public thanksgiving and prayer’.

The only previous time a president had done such a thing was when President Washington in 1815 called for a national day of prayer and thanksgiving for the Union Army and God for a shift in the country’s blessing and future. America observed this day of prayer until 1939 when Roosevelt moved it to the 3rd Thursday with the hopes of encouraging people to shop on their day off before Christmas to try to stimulate the economy. In 1941 Congress moved it back to the 4th Thursday which it has held to until today 2017 to try to restore the original intent of the day of prayer and reflection and sever its commercial connection.
Some advice on how to survive the holiday and days ahead:
2 Timothy 3:22-26
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know  they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
If we all revived Thanksgiving as Lincoln envisioned it to help heal and bring our nation together, instead of finding  another reason to find differences and resentment, I believe it would resonate love through the whole country and throughout the whole year.