Final Thoughts about the Real Thanksgiving Story
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November. Prior to 1941, Thanksgiving was not a fixed date on the calendar but whenever the sitting President declared it to be. George Washington was the first to issue a proclamation regarding Thanksgiving in 1789. He designated, Thursday, November 26, for a day of Thanksgiving among the American people. While this was not a national holiday, it was received by the American people as a special day to celebrate and give thanks. Many people in the years that followed endeavored to get Thanksgiving made into a national holiday, but it was Sarah Josepha Hale who succeeded. Mrs. Hale convinced President Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving an official national holiday in 1863. President Lincoln urged the American people to use Thanksgiving to heal the nation’s wounds and restore peace, harmony, tranquility and union. Under different Presidents, the Thanksgiving holiday bounced around on different Thursdays of November. Sometimes, individual states celebrated Thanksgiving on different Thursdays creating confusion. On December 26, 1941, the Congress gave the American people a welcome Christmas present when they passed a law, officially making Thanksgiving the 4th Thursday of November.
While the controversy over the “when” of Thanksgiving has been resolved, the last few decades have seen conflict and acrimony arise regarding the history and message of Thanksgiving. The unfortunate truth is, if we do not remind ourselves what happened in the past and talk about history, we will lose our history and the important lessons it provides. Thanksgiving is a rich and wholesome time. As the “story” of Thanksgiving is told, there are several important issues and ideas that we should understand and embrace. After the first Thanksgiving, after the Pilgrims gave “thanks” in 1621, the “Thanksgiving Story” crossed the Atlantic and spread across Europe like wildfire. Below are some elements of that Thanksgiving story.
The Thanksgiving story gave great testimony to the bountiful nature of the American continent. The land was sparsely populated and offered abundance for all. A century earlier there had been great anticipation that the “New World” was filled with silver and gold. Reports soon came back that while precious metals could be found, the land was not a precious metal treasure trove. When the message of Thanksgiving spread across Europe, people looked to the Americas for an opportunity to have a better life. Life in those days was difficult (even as it is today), but America seemed to be a place where land could be worked and a family could have a prosperous future. The only question to answer was: Are you willing to work and make the needed sacrifices in order to harvest these amazing opportunities?
The next part of the Thanksgiving story was that the people who lived in America were generally peaceful. There were not large numbers of Indians, and they were helpful when treated well and fairly. Note, that situation did take a turn for the worse during the centuries that followed when man’s sinful, selfish nature reared its ugly head on both sides of the conflict. The same truth is seen today as we observe a world where we have “good people, bad people and otherwise” all around us.
The last and best part of the Thanksgiving story that caught the attention of the Pilgrims’ world was the freedom to worship God and the blessings that God showered on those who sought Him in this brave, new land. Coming to the Americas was no easy task. Then again, the world of the 1600s was challenging everywhere. To have the opportunity to serve God as one wishes and live in a land where God is revered was a radical idea. We need to understand that as the American colonies were established and settled, this was a grand and unheard-of experiment. Freedom, liberty, self-reliance and the opportunity to seek God without persecution from a “state-run church” was unknown at that time.
Looking back at the founding of America, it is easy to see the hand of God. This is why we must protect the freedoms we have in this country. Thanksgiving is a reminder that we are blessed. Thanksgiving is a celebration of the good things that God has given us. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to bow before God and acknowledge that He has done great things in this land and in our lives. Let us pause this Thanksgiving season and do what our forefathers did. Let us lift our hearts to God and thank Him for all He has gifted us with. Keep looking up!