THE MEANING OF THANKSGIVING

In 1621 after a hard and devastating first year in the New World, the Pilgrims' fall 
harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along 
with fish that was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They 
found they had enough food to put away for the winter. 

The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised 
enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at 
peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed 
a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring 
Native American Indians. 

The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, 
continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770's), a day 
of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. 

In 1817, New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the 
middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. 
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. 
Since then, each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually 
designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

Today, Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family 
gatherings and holiday meals; a time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie; a time 
for Indian corn, holiday parades and giant balloons; a time for football games and 
family celebrations.

Unfortunately, most of us forget the "thanksgiving" part because of all the other 
trappings of the holiday.  God, however, has a way of bringing the importance of 
giving thanks home.  It's called AGE!  The older I get, the more appreciative I 
become of the wonderful gifts and kindnesses of God.  In fact, I find myself 
meditating more and more on how great and good our God really is.  In fact, this 
thanksgiving I will reflect on the incredible graciousness of our God more than 
ever before.  In fact, I'll give Him thanks for blessing me and my family so 
much—a novel idea isn't it?

Thanks be to God and "God bless" is my prayer for you.

Leslie S. Chapman