Thanksgiving is one of our nation’s most cherished traditions. Before America was even founded, the Pilgrims expressed gratitude to God for His many blessings – even when life was hard.
And life was hard. The Pilgrims’ voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took 65 days in cold, miserable conditions. Many of them became ill, and one person died before the Mayflower reached Plymouth in November of 1620. Less than half of the Pilgrims survived that first winter. And yet, despite their adversity, their governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving for God’s grace and provision.
Over 200 years later, in 1863, President Lincoln called for a day of thanksgiving in the midst of equally difficult times. He and his wife, Mary, were mourning the recent death of their 11-year-old son, Willie, and the country was embroiled in a bloody Civil War. Yet, Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November of that year as a day of thanksgiving and prayer.
Maybe you’re going through a hard time this Thanksgiving. You’ve had a tough year. Sickness. Financial problems. An empty chair where a beloved family member used to sit. It’s not easy to be thankful when life feels so dark. But as Dr. Tim Keller said, “It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.”
