Thankgiving Holiday

Why is it that Thanksgiving seems to disappear from retail store radars? It seems like the minute the Halloween decor goes down the Christmas comes up. So in essence you leave the seasonal department one day hearing ghosts and enter it the next hearing Santa Claus is coming to town.

So this blog entry is dedicated to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a traditional North American holiday to give thanks at the conclusion of the harvest season. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. The earliest Thanksgiving events were held in the British Colonies, at present day Berkeley Plantation in Virginia in 1619 and at Plymouth in present day Massachusetts in 1621.

Now with that boring information out of the way lets evaluate the first couple of Thanksgivings. During the first few years the "Pilgrims" spend time Thanking God for his provisions and their freedoms.

We all have the traditional idea of the Native Americans and the Pilgrims sitting down and eating together. Unfortunately the Native Americans didn't exactly get along with the new settlers. There was a new people on their land that was taking natures resources from them. So there were some massacres that happened in the early years.

But in 1621 we see the Native Americans and the Pilgrims sharing Thanksgiving meals together. There came a time when the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims learn to grow corn and fish for eels. The Native Americans even harvested deer as a gift for the Governor of the area.

With all of that said we go back and see a time where we came from a land where we were forced to practice a faith we did not believe in. Heading to American the Pilgrims came to a place with harsh environments and people that didn't want them on their land. After time things began to work out and the Pilgrims began to flourish.

So this year we need to be Thankful to God (most importantly). He has provided so much for us. Also we need to be thankful to the Native Americans. They befriended us and allowed us to live on the land that was once theirs. Although we don't think of the US as foreign soil it is a land that was taken and not given. So to all of those who might read this post that have Native American blood. Thank you!

Most importantly we give thanks to God. He has provided us with so much when we deserved so much less. So it Grace and Mercy should lead us to Thanksgiving.

"All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." - 2 Cor 4:15