[189 words]
The present-day American practice of Thanksgiving descended from the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, 399 years ago. It is a unique holiday because it doesn’t commemorate a special event such as a battle or a birthday. It is simply a day set aside to tell God thanks for his many gifts.
Many people misunderstand what motivated the pilgrims of Plymouth to declare their thanksgiving feast. The Pilgrim Fathers were not celebrating their abundant harvest, they were celebrating the God who gave them that harvest.
They were not taking that time to thank the Native Americans nor were they thanking their other friends. It was a day to thank God for all who helped them!
And that is the first American Thanksgiving. It was more than being grateful for all our stuff, such as our abundance of food, the presence of our family or our enjoyment of football games. The spirit of thanksgiving that we need to recover is that of the pilgrims who were grateful that God had blessed them.
The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift is from God (James 1:17).
Larry Fitzgerald
Woodlawn church of Christ
Abilene, TX