Important Thoughts on Thanksgiving

I want to take the time to reflect on what Thanksgiving means to me this year, and every year. Millions of Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving today, a holiday tradition that dates back hundreds of years. But some say there's an attempt to remove the religious significance from this great American holiday. President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving official in 1863. He proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be "a national day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent father who dwelleth in the heavens."

But for most of us, when we think of that first Thanksgiving, we think about the Pilgrims and the Indians. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. Weak and sick, they began to die. The Pilgrims needed help to survive and they got it from an English-speaking Indian named Squanto.

Although some would say it was just a day of celebration, historical records show it was a time to give thanks to God. They looked at everything as a gift from God, even the sorrowful things they saw as God allowing that to perfect their character. So they were amazing Christians and great examples for us today.

For a lot of people, Thanksgiving has become a day to watch football, eat turkey, and watch the Macy's Day Parade. In the comfort of your home, country club, restaurant. or at a large gathering...it is different for us all. While these are not bad things, some believe the most important part of Thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for our many blessings is being down-played or left out altogether. We say our prayers, we give him thanks...and then the very next day we are pushing eachother in lines trying to get the next "tickle me elmo" or "150 dollar lap top at best buy" or a few dollars off an Ipad. We complain about the lines, the wait, the parking...yet we do it to ourselves. We think that if our gifts are the most expensive, or measure up to the ones that we are receiving, that we will be bringing joy to those around us. Those same people we weren't sure if we wanted to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with this year because they hurt us, or they hurt someone we love, or they embarrass us. Yes, we say we're thankful...we say we're blessed...and we are... but then we go back to living life as we have been...with ourselves at the center.

So I go back to the football, the parade, the Shopping Extravaganzas...and I try to figure out a way to put God back at the center, not everything else. I start to write my Christmas cards... the ones that specifically have a message to each of my friends... (you know you look forward to them each year)... I donate some of my time to a soup kitchen, I try to fix the problems my family has... not for me, or my benefit, but because I know it's what God would want me to do. Thanksgiving to me, is to be thankful, not just for what we have and our current situation... but to be thankful for the God-given talents we each possess, and the compassion and forgiveness we have in our hearts...that some of us don't even know we have.

So forgive that mother, uncle, grandmother, father, sister, brother friend. Tell your significant other you're sorry. Make an effort to see those people you haven't made time for. Give something to someone who has less than you. Spend time with someone who doesn't have anyone to spend their day with. The football game will come and go, and I guarantee you'll be able to catch the highlights later. (I am a HUGE football fan)

God was very much a part of that first Thanksgiving. All of our Thanksgivings, and all the days in between.
What's sad is that here in the U.S. the day after Thanksgiving is often more celebrated than Thanksgiving itself.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to rectify a situation that seems completely un-fixable. I would know first hand in dealing with my immediate family's situation with my mother. We all have broken familes. We all have hurt and anger and pain. We all have families. Families that are beautiful no matter how much they are messed up. People that care for us no matter how little or much they tell us. People who can be reached if you only take the time to figure out how to reach them. I have seen more beautiful and miraculous things happen in times of pain, suffering and turmoil than I have in an every day "normal" family situation. So for that I am thankful. I challenge you to remove yourself from the situation, take a step back, and love them. No matter what. Right where they are. Not where you want them to be, not where you're comfortable, or the ideal situation you want for your family. Love them just how they are. Just as God does. Be there. If you don't know how to fix it, at least do that. God can handle the rest.

This Thanksgiving and Christmas will be no different than any other I have had since my mother's illness, and parent's divorce. I will be trying to manage my time between two families. There will be hurt feelings, pain and sadness... from fights, losses, death, broken relationships, etc, and I'm going to surround it with love. Someone needs too. And I pray more people do the same. Because that love will bring out some other things... good memories, direction on how to be happy, how to be thankful, and a demonstration on what our family has to be thankful for. Hoping you can do the same.

So enjoy that football game, watch that parade, and eat some awesome food. But please do it with a happy, loving, and selfless heart.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Love you all

Tina