Saturday Spiritual Uplift - More than Just a Turkey Day

More than Just a Turkey Day

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

(Psalm 107:1, NLT)

As much as I loved celebrating Christmas and Easter with my children while they were growing up, I always felt as though it was hard to get all the fun in and focus on the real meaning the way I would like. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, seemed a much simpler holiday. Family and friends get together to prepare and share a meal. Parades and football sometimes blares from the television. It’s the holiday I enjoyed hosting the most.

Image in public domain from Wikimedia Commons

There were a couple of traditions I tried to implement in our family. When the Pilgrims were going through their toughest winter they were said to have subsisted on a ration of five kernels of corn a day. Later, to remember how the Lord preserved them through that harsh time, a tradition of placing five kernels of corn on each plate, before the feast, was observed. Since we didn’t usually have corn on Thanksgiving, I instead put five candy corns on each plate and we talked about what they symbolized. For a couple of years, we placed a construction paper tree on the door to the kitchen and taped colorful fall paper leaves to the branches, each leaf having something we were thankful for written on them.

As the boys grew older and our feast moved elsewhere, these two traditions have been lost. I am glad that we can at least remember that first Thanksgiving in 1621, when the Pilgrims, grateful for their autumn harvest, feasted with the Wampanoag, by celebrating each November. And I try to remember that every day should be one of giving thanks.

The First Thanksgiving by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris {{PD-US-not renewed |1= }}

We are blessed daily with the Lord’s mercy and grace. He is ever present with His children and His help is only a prayer away. In our country, our tables overflow with abundance. We have shelter and clothing. Salvation is preached freely and available to each of us through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. We are free to worship and read our Bibles. There are so many things I often take for granted, including God’s love and the wonderful people He has put in my life.

Thanksgiving traditions can help families grow closer together and assist us in keeping our perspective. It’s a day for us to pause and be truly appreciative for what we’ve been given. I need to remember to make every day a mini-Thanksgiving. What about you?

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