Thanksgiving

 

We’re planning a very quiet Thanksgiving this year. I have lots of memories of past Thanksgivings. They run all the way from a high-stress day on call at the hospital to bringing our newborn daughter to see my family for the first time. There are twinges of sadness for people who are no longer with us, but my overriding feelings are those of joy and gratitude.

 

The idea of giving thanks to God at a particular time has been around for the life of our country and for thousands of years in other parts of the world. Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1863. President Lincoln’s proclamation stated in part:

 

“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States…..to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.”

 

I was struck by Mr. Lincoln’s words when I read them. So much of what he spoke about is in evidence today. May we make his words our prayer today and in the days ahead. May we live each day in gratitude for the blessings our loving God has bestowed on us.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!