Blessed Thanksgiving

Every year, we gather around familiar traditions. The parade and the football games.  The classic movies. And of course the food. I love all of it. But those things are modern ornaments on a much older tree.

Thanksgiving reaches back to a small band of pioneers who had every reason to feel hopeless. Half of the Pilgrims died on the journey across the seas. Half of the survivors died that first winter. They were unprepared. They were overwhelmed. They were hanging on by a thread.

Yet after that first year on new soil, they stopped, paused, lifted their eyes, and said, “Thank You.”

They were not celebrating abundance. They were celebrating their survival. 

Fast forward two hundred years. Our nation was trying to heal from the wounds of the Civil War. Brother warred against brother. Cities now lay in ruin. Families were shattered. In the middle of that darkness, President Abraham Lincoln did something remarkable. He called the nation to a day of thanksgiving, repentance, and prayer. 

Once again, it was a call to remember that in hard times,  the blessings of God had not ceased. Lincoln asked our nation to pause, acknowledge God’s mercy, confess our sins, and turn our hearts back to Him.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. Its purpose is often lost in the commercialization. It is not the official start of the Christmas season. It is not a warm-up for Black Friday. It is a day for reflection, repentance, and gratitude.

It’s a day for a big side of humbleness alongside the stuffing and gravy, and to show gratitude even in the hardships or trials.  To express appreciation for the goodness and the faithfulness of our God. It is showing humility before so many blessings we did not earn. It is the confession that our lives and liberties are gifts from God.

Grace World, this week I want to challenge you to reclaim the meaning of Thanksgiving.

Pause.

Pray.

Give thanks.

I am grateful. For Jesus. For this nation. For this church. For you.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Blessings to You,

Pastor Daniel