So
what is it that brings out an attitude of thankfulness from the animal class in
the world known within the scientific community as Homo sapiens? Homo sapiens
is Latin for “the wise humans,” or “the clever humans.” Well, I would suggest
that thankfulness is a divine quality that emanates directly from God. He is
the one who made us so that we can experience the full range of senses and
emotions that are intended to round us out as human beings. In fact, a person
who lacks this quality is considered to be seriously deficient in their
character. Typically a person who fails to demonstrate thankfulness is regarded
as self-centered, a bore, and is probably someone who lacks the capacity for
caring and being compassionate.
As
you are reading this in the paper you are preparing to enjoy the pleasantries
of a sumptuous feast tomorrow, no doubt to be enjoyed with family and close
friends. Many prayers of thanks will be offered over golden roast turkey, mounds
of mashed potatoes, bowls of beans, heapings of stuffing, generous slices of
pumpkin pie with a healthy daub of whipped cream, accompanied by a freshly
brewed cup of coffee. It is factored that you and I will consume roughly 3,500
calories in this one meal on Thanksgiving Day.
What
were the original pilgrims thankful for way back in 1621? The main emphasis of
thanks on the part of those first settlers on America’s shore was that they had
managed to see some of them through a very cold winter with little in the way
of food and clothing to fight against the oppressive elements. In the spring of
1621, Indians (Native Americans) approached the greatly depleted pilgrims and
offered to show them how to properly plant corn and other successful agricultural
methods. Later in the fall after bringing in an abundant harvest, the pilgrims
invited the Indians to join them in a Harvest Celebration. The food most likely
consisted of deer meat, wild turkey, and a mash of vegetables. Games and feats
of skill were entered into with great relish. Settler children and Indian children
taught each other the games they often played. The feasting and celebrating
continued for many days, and a good time was had by all.
However,
the one overarching thought on the part of the settlers was their attitude of
thanks toward God for seeing them through these early challenging months in the
New World. Many of the pilgrims survived the arduous crossing of the Atlantic
Ocean on the Mayflower, only to succumb to disease or illness in what was one
of the coldest winters on records in 1620 at that time.
In
addition to being thankful for their lives being spared, they were beginning to
enjoy the reality of being a free people. They worshipped as they chose without
the ever present Church of England spies reporting them to the authorities. This
liberty was intoxicating, and coupled with the drafting of the Mayflower
Compact by Governor William Bradford, this document was the genesis of what was
to become the United States Constitution some 160 years later.
As
you can see, the pilgrims were thankful for a whole different set of circumstances
than we might be today, although in either case the thanks should be directed
to God. The Bible instructs us to approach God always in an attitude of
thanksgiving. Even in Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary of 1913, the definition
for Thanksgiving is, “A public acknowledgment
or celebration of divine goodness; also, a day set apart for religious
services, specially to acknowledge the goodness of God, either in any
remarkable deliverance from calamities or danger, or in the ordinary
dispensation of his bounties.” This definition seems to have had the pilgrims in mind.
It was in 1777 that General
George Washington and his army were on the way to Valley Forge. They stopped in
blistering weather in open fields to observe the first Thanksgiving of the newly
established United States of America.
When you gather
around the table consider this poem, Thanksgiving
Observance (unknown author). “Count your blessings instead of your crosses; Count your gains instead
of you losses. Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead
of your foes. Count your smiles instead of your tears; Count your courage
instead of your fears. Count your full years instead of your lean; Count your
kind deeds instead of your mean. Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.”
And everyone said – Amen!
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