Thanksgiving in the midst of adversity
The Canadian Thanksgiving can be traced back to Martin Frobisher, when he landed in Newfoundland in1578. It wasn’t until Jan.31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed … to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”
There is a lot of history between 1578 and 1957. The Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth Rock over 300 years ago knew nothing of the affluence which you and I enjoy today in this great country of ours. They clearly understood adversity, poverty, sickness, and despair.
The next time you and I are tempted to complain about inflation, recession, terror threats and/or the economy, remember that first long winter at Plymouth Colony. Seven times as many graves were made for the dead as homes for the living. The ship, which was to bring food and relief, brought 35 more mouths to feed, but not an ounce of provisions.
There is a touching picture of William Brewster, rising from a scanty Plymouth dinner, consisting of a plate of clams and a glass of cold water, to thank God “for the abundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand.” In the midst of adversity, those pilgrims began a custom of putting five kernels of corn upon each empty plate before a dinner of “thanksgiving” was served. Each member of the family would pick up a kernel and tell what they were thankful for. It was to remind them that the first Pilgrims were in such dire straits that their allowance was only five kernels of corn per person each day.
In spite of the hardships of this past year, start making a list of at least five things that you are thankful for.
Thanksgiving is an attitude. Attitudes are not determined by our circumstances; they are determined by our choice of response to those circumstances. As I was teaching a life-skill class on “Attitudes” at Rising Above last week, I asked our participants, “Which is more important, wrong action directed at me, or a wrong reaction within me?” The bottom line is that we cannot control the wrong actions directed at us, we can control the reaction we have. Look at I Thessalonians 5:16-18; “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” If we can give thanks in spite of our circumstances, we will have a great outlook on life.
How do we get there? Start with a shift in perspective. Instead of looking at all the things that are going wrong, begin to see what is going right. I love the little poem that says, “I had the blues, because I had no shoes, until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet”. That’s a powerful example of how we can shift perspective. Next begin the list of what you are thankful for. Remember the pilgrims and how their five kernels of corn caused them to shift perspective and find things they were thankful for.
Here are some general thoughts which could be a good primer for your list:
1. Freedom. We should not take this for granted nor wait until November 11th to acknowledge it.
2. Like the traditional Thanksgiving, we can thankful for the gift of the land, the food we enjoy.
3. How about the beauty that is all around us? Every season has its wonders.
4. Life; physical life and the opportunity to have a spiritual life.
5. Forgiveness. What an amazing realization that all the harms, shortcomings, and sins can be erased through the forgiveness that God offers us.
6. I am thankful that I am loved. Even if you don’t feel loved by anyone, God loves you deeply; He is very fond of you. When that thought settles into your heart you will be thankful!
7. The fact that you have a purpose. You are uniquely created for a reason.
8. Be thankful for the opportunity to be content. Someone said, “if you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy”.
9. Be thankful that you can be kind and compassionate to others.
10. For me this one tops all the others. I am thankful that God is on my side. When I really embrace that, even in difficult times, stress, worry, and anxiety weaken.
Keep adding to the list and soon you will see how this Thanksgiving can be incredible, even in the midst of adverse situations. Have a great Thanksgiving!
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