An early Thanksgiving
Published Thu, Oct 29 2009 12:54 AM
Technorati Tags: Family
For reason’s I’m not quite ready to disclose to the general public yet (nothing bad though), I may not be home this Thanksgiving. Since that’s a distinct possibility, my wife decided that yesterday would be a good day to celebrate. We had the traditional American Thanksgiving day feast.
What the heck anyway? If major retailers like Fred Meyer, Costco, and a few others that come to mind can have their Christmas items out on the shelves before Halloween, why can’t we celebrate Thanksgiving a month early?
Despite what has been a very hard year for me, I have a great deal to be thankful for. First, and foremost is the fact that I made it into this year alive. I very nearly didn’t. Even more details are here.
Another thing that I’m thankful for is my family, especially my wife. For the rest of them, I can’t say that I always get along with all of them, but whether they all believe it or not I’m grateful to God that I have them – all of them. For both of my boys, the words of Abigail Adams to her son John Quincy Adams says everything about what I want from them.
“What is it that affectionate parents require of their Children; for all their care, anxiety, and toil on their accounts? Only that they would be wise and virtuous, Benevolent and kind.”
– Abigail Adams, letter to John Quincy Adams, 1783
Give me that boys, and I have everything in the world to be thankful for on your account. I know better than to expect it all the time, but that’s all I really want from either of you.
After my family, my friends – few though they may be, the ones that I have are golden. There are quite a few people that I’ve made friendly acquaintance with, but I can count on the fingers of one hand those that I consider true friends (and my wife is one of them, so the circle is smaller even than that). You know who you are, and I am ever so grateful for you.
After my friends, my social network. There are some among you that could quite possibly deserve promotion into the exclusive circle of my friends, but we don’t really know one another quite that well. It’s not a reflection on you, nor I hope on me, but rather one of opportunity and time spent together. I appreciate you all – even those of you I don’t agree with. God knew what he was doing when he put us in contact with one another.
I also thank God for these United States of America, and the founding fathers that made them possible. Without the wisdom of men like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and many others who served as goads to the people, and a thorn in the side of King George III, these United States would still be nothing more than colonies, vassals of Europe. The Constitution of Government that they gave us was a brilliantly crafted compromise between the desires of men who wanted an all powerful central government and of men that wanted free and independent States banded together in unity. Two hundred and twenty two years later a lot may have changed, but the central promise remains. Without the sacrifices of those men, none of us would be truly free men today, and I thank God for them.
I have a great deal more that I’m thankful for, more than I could hope to list here. Just as important – actually even more important – is the one I have to be thankful to. I know that I don’t always meet the expectations that Abigail Adams told her son are the desire of affectionate parents, but I am still grateful to God that I have the opportunity to be grateful to Him.
My family celebrated Thanksgiving together a bit early this year. We’ll probably celebrate it apart at the traditional time. The reasons for this are good news, but not altogether certain just yet. I hope that when your family celebrates this year (if you do) that you have as much to be thankful for as I do – and more.
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T F Stern responded with:
 | About the only thing to add would be, Amen. |
David responded with:
 | Thanksgiving is appropriate at any time. As Martin Rinkert asserted, after living through most of the 30 Years' War in a town that was sacked several times and paid tribute more; after burying his wife and most of his congregation (multiple times) because of plague; after these and many more woes during his pastoring through the entire war,
Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today. |
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