Thanksgiving: A Beginning that Has no End

If you look back in history you will find that Thanksgiving Day was created out hardships, misfortune, and difficult times. The crops the Pilgrims had planted that year were failing. They were having what we would call, “A bad day or several bad days or even a bad year.” Their crops were their source of food for the year. They didn’t have a Wal Mart to run to, a Safeway to shop at, they had to grow what they needed to live off of.

It definitely was a time period that was very rough and it was because of that they decided to have what is called, “a fast of praying.” It would be a time period in which they would go without food in order to dedicate all their efforts to praying to the Lord their God. It was God who had brought them to this new country in the first place and they knew He could see them through this as well.

It was from the first idea that someone thought of something better to do. It was suggested that instead of a fast they needed to have a feast in order to be thankful for what God had already given them. This was the birth of Thanksgiving.

Try as we might to change that part in history to be something its not, such as calling Thanksgiving Day, “Lucky Thursday” the birth and purpose of the holiday remains the same. It’s a time to stop and instead of showering Heaven with our complaints through our actions we flood Heaven with our thanks.

Being thankful doesn’t come once a year. It’s not reserved for only the situations in our lives that are good. It’s a time that should be lived year around no matter what. It’s where we put our focus. It’s what we have placed in our hearts.

This Thanksgiving…..

If your brother or sisters beat you to the table first and take all your favorite goodies you can be thankful you have legs that get you there whether you’re first or last.

The meal may be small but you can be thankful you have any food at all.

The house may be lonely because a love one is missing but you can be thankful for the love ones that still remain.


The whole thing is all in how and where you look. If you look for the negative, bad things in life you will find them every time. If you look for the good in all situations to be thankful for it can be found as well.

Look and live out your gratitude daily. It will get you further in life than you can even imagine! It’s a task we will be doing for all eternity in Heaven so start today on this action that has a beginning but indeed no end.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!!

And thanks to you Jesus for who You are and who we can be thanks to You!


© 2009 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing