Lest We Forget to Give Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving! I wanted to do something a little different with today’s blog post. I won’t keep you long because today is Thanksgiving, which means we should prioritize time to give thanks and spend the day with people we love. The other day I read Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation of the first Thanksgiving. I was surprised to read many references to God throughout and the need for gratitude, especially when we find ourselves in difficult times.
My sentiments towards Thanksgiving have changed and altered over the years. I failed to see its true purpose, but now I understand it as a time for appreciation of the smallest gifts in life. Lincoln’s proclamation helps me appreciate this beloved holiday. The first paragraph of Lincoln’s proclamation stood out to me most. It reads:
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and even soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
When things are going well in our lives, it’s easy to forget the blessings we have from God. When things are bad, we typically ask God for deliverance. Giving thanks is not usually on our mind, but Lincoln and Job from the Bible inform us that giving thanks and praise to God in difficult times is important. Job says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord,” (1:21).
“But it is precisely in those moments, those moments of sadness, grief, and strife that we easily forget the blessings bestowed upon us by almighty God each and every day.”
Lincoln wrote that proclamation in 1863 while the Nation was bitterly divided against itself. Seems kind of like an odd time to give thanks. But it is precisely in those moments, those moments of sadness, grief, and strife that we easily forget the blessings bestowed upon us by almighty God each and every day. As I write this I am grateful for my family, my life, and most importantly the gift of the Faith.
The Faith is consistently my guiding light in my daily life. Without it, I would not have such an appreciation for the littlest things in life. So, this Thanksgiving, I encourage you to: 1) listen to Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie (an all time classic), and 2) read Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, and 3) do a small act of charity for another person.
I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving and a blessed beginning to Advent this coming Sunday!
This is a sample highlight film. For this couple I also filmed the full mass, full speeches, and gathered interviews with family members and guests.
