Giving Thanks
Another year has nearly flown by and in the matter of just one week we will gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. You know about the first Thanksgiving, right? I think it is good to remember the story – and our roots.
It was December 11, 1620. The Pilgrims had landed at Plymouth Rock, but that first winter was devastating and they had no real idea how to survive in this strange land. By the following fall they had lost 46 of the original 102 who had sailed on the Mayflower.
These Puritans had come to America, willing to sacrifice everything for their faith – many of them did. They believed deeply in the sovereignty of God. They acknowledged and confessed that all things come from God, the Father.
By the next year, they had learned a lot and the harvest was a bountiful one. Those that remained decided to celebrate with a feast, along with 91 natives who had helped the Pilgrims to survive. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives.
Their attitude was one of thankfulness, even in the face of great loss. As we celebrate this year, we think about these things, and our hope is like that of those early Pilgrims. That gratitude for God’s goodness and grace will be what marks our lives, because Thanksgiving is much more than a season to count our blessings. It’s a time to take a personal inventory of those things that are temporal and those that are eternal.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him! Lamentations 3:22-24
For Carole and I, the love and support you have all shown us during our first year here at GFBC is an eternal blessing, and our hearts rejoice that God has called us to serve here. The temporal bumps we all face daily pale in comparison to Lord’s gracious mercies extended to us every morning.
Today, we acknowledge and give thanks for Emmanuel, God with us, and God in us! We bring life to our thanksgiving when we reach out and bless others, allowing God to work through us.
Your servant, Phillip
