Letters from Paul

Thanksgiving . . . the beginning of the Holiday Season.  Doesn’t that seem fitting?  I am not sure there is any other way to begin the holidays than being thankful.  For many in this country, we enter a time that is accompanied by family gatherings, good food, and stopping to remember how blessed we are.  This is a time that holds many special memories and it is a time that both young and old look forward to.  I remember getting up and my parents would have the Thanksgiving Day parade on the TV and the last float or exhibit would always be Santa Clause on his sleigh.  I remember my mom always thinking we would have our turkey and fixins ready to eat by noon, but it never happened.  We always found things to snack on during the time between breakfast and lunch which would commensurate around 2:30 or 3:00 PM, so no one really cared.  Grandparents would come over and my brothers and I would always be entertained by conversations at the table and then we would find ourselves watching football and old movies during the remainder of the day as the late afternoon naps began to overtake all the adults.  There was one other thing that I failed to mention . . . there was ALWAYS . . . ALWAYS a time when we stopped to thank God for what he had done.  We thanked him for our family, for the food, for the opportunities during the past year, for our health and for His faithfulness as He watched over us.  Most importantly, we thank God for the gift of his Son and the salvation that He had provided.  In only a month, we would be remembering the birth of Jesus, but I wonder . . . are we losing our sense of thankfulness?  Why is Thanksgiving Day simply becoming another shopping day connected to Black Friday?  Why are Wal-mart, Target, and Toys-R-Us, along with other retailers, deciding to open their doors on this day?  Why is a day that has been set aside for “Giving Thanks” losing its importance?  Perhaps the question is simply, “As our country becomes more secular, what is the point of Thanksgiving when there is no one to thank?”

I simply believe . . . it is a sign of the times.  Lack of gratitude is one of the marks of a secular culture.  Think for just a moment.  If we have done all of this (name your pride and joy) and there is no God, then why stop and give thanks?  If you are healthy today and you believe it is because of your good eating habits, your hard exercise program, or simply luck of the draw, what is the point of being thankful?  If you have a good job today, and you believe it was simply because you were in the right place at the right time or because you are just good at what you do, then why be grateful?  If you have a good marriage and healthy kids and it is simply because you lucked out finding your spouse and your kids just have good genes, then what is the point of being appreciative? 

Perhaps some would state, “Well, I am grateful to my spouse, my family, my employer or to that person who invested in me.”  Certainly, we all have people to thank.  All of us have people who helped us out in life.  I hope you have taken time to thank those who have given of themselves for your sake, but that is not what Thanksgiving is about.  Perhaps, you were taught that when the Pilgrims sat down and had “Thanksgiving” they thanked the Indians for teaching them how to grow and harvest crops.  I am sure that the pilgrims did thank the Indians, but that is not what THAT Thanksgiving was about either.  It only takes just a moment of research to realize that William Bradford’s Thanksgiving Proclamation was not about thanking Indians, it was about thanking God.   As a matter of fact, I would encourage you to read both of the Thanksgiving Proclamations by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln (who actually established the Thanksgiving Holiday). Both presidents proclaim that it is Almighty God in whom we are to be thankful.   That is why we celebrate Thanksgiving.  As we lose our faith, belief, and realization that it is God who has given to us beyond what we deserve and it is God who has given to us things no man could give, we will continue to watch the importance of this national holiday erode.

Perhaps you do have a faithful spouse who is deeply committed to your marriage.  Why you?  I know many people, through no fault of their own, who have had their spouse desert them.  Perhaps you do have healthy children.  Why you?  There are many families that have buried their children because of disease or careless accidents.  Perhaps you live in a nice house, have a great job, and drive a nice care.  Why you?  There are many who work harder than you and I have ever worked in our lives, and yet; they live in poverty.  Perhaps, you have worked hard each day of your entire life.  Why you?  There are many, because of mental or physical handicaps, that have never had the opportunity to work as you have.  It could be that as you read this, what comes to mind are losses in your life.  It has been said that, “Those that have the most, have the most to lose.”  Perhaps this year, you have lost a loved one, your health, your job, your wealth, etc, but the point is, “Why do we think we deserve any of it in the first place?”  The possibilities are simply infinite, but we have an infinite God who is in control over it all.  Even as you read this, why you?  Who has given you the ability to read and comprehend what is on the computer screen right now?  Do you really think this is by chance and of your own doing alone?  If so, then Thanksgiving is truly a meaningless holiday, because there is no one to thank concerning the intangibles.  If a sound mind, gifts, talents, physical abilities, place of birth, family lineage, and the people and opportunities placed in one’s life are simply by chance, then I would ask again, “Who do you thank and what is the point of Thanksgiving?”

I am not here to condemn anyone who goes shopping on Thanksgiving Day.  My wife was one of those who would go to bed and get up at 4:00 in the morning to hit the sales on Black Friday.  I realize that many thank God everyday for what He has done for them.  I realize that many will set apart time to recognize what God has done for them on Thanksgiving and shopping is simply something they will do later in the day, but I wonder . . . can we simply go one day . . . one day without enriching ourselves with more stuff and simply be satisfied with what God has done.  You realize that many workers will have to give up their Thanksgiving traditions, not because of choice, but because they are being called into work to satisfy a culture that cannot go one day without obtaining more.   Will this be another moment that believers refuse to be lumped into the masses?  If not, then it should be no mystery that as the country becomes more secular, Thanksgiving will simply become less important.  Hey, if there is no one to thank, we might as well go shopping.