Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends, my family, to those I know and to those I do not know. On this day of remembrance I am reminded first why we have this holiday celebration, and what it means to be both an American, and a Christian American. This holiday was not and is not a pagan holiday. There are those who claim that because the natives that celebrated with the pilgrims were in fact pagan by definition (they worshipped earthly and heavenly things rather than God), we know that the pilgrims had gained the trust of these wonderful people to the point of sharing food, breaking bread, learning from one another, and there are many accounts of Christian fellowship between the two peoples after many natives accepted Christ as their Lord. This day is a day to celebrate so many things, not just the first day of sitting together as a "family" between friends and neighbors.
In 2020 we have an issue in our country whereas the entire nation seems divided as to how we should celebrate this monumental (often forgotten) holiday. Governors in some states have mandated that no one should travel for a gathering, others have stated that up to six people can gather, and still others have made no restrictions or regulations whatsoever. As President Trump tweeted today "Happy Thanksgiving to EVERYONE, even the haters and the losers." I couldn't agree more. We should all engage in love, thanksgiving, forgiveness, thankfulness, and an open awareness that without God, without Christ, there would be no food to share, no place to share it, no world in which to love and congregate as family, friends or neighbors. We would be lost. Christ, as He always is, is the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving dinner today!
My family and I are agreeing to the mandate of under 6 people, and we're not even traveling. We thought we were going to my daughter's in Tulsa, but as it turns out she'll have too many people to fit around her big table, so we decided to stay home and invite a couple of our friends who we knew were going to be alone today. They'll meet for the first time today, and that's a good thing. We aren't haven't turkey, which is different, but we are having basil garlic chicken strips, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with molasses and marshmallows, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin bread. It should be great...smells good. Oh, and rolls, I have to make sure I add rolls, you can't have a proper Thanksgiving dinner without them.
Traditionally the dinner is served around 4:00 p.m. or so to give people time to play football, hang out, talk, etc., but in my family it was always served at noon to give families time to get to their 2nd family dinner if need be. We have a small gathering today, so it will be noon, and then a long 2-3 mile walk to get rid of some of those THANKFULLY wonderful calories. God provided an amazing 62 degree day with little breeze, and plenty of sunshine! He really is the best, and I won't ever change my mind about that.
BLESSINGS!!
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