Thanksgiving, No Changes Needed!

I love Thanksgiving! I love the fall crisp air as we drive through the country to meet with family and friends to share this day. It brings back so many memories of past Thanksgivings. Have you ever thought what it would be like without Thanksgiving? It would be just another day without any special purpose or meaning. We have purpose in this special holiday. It reminds us of the Pilgrims who went through tough and brutal times to establish a life with freedom of religion to birth a nation of people who loved God. When they celebrated with the Indians and thanked God, they truly felt grateful to a loving God for bringing them together. The Indians had helped them and taught them many ways to survive and flourish in a harsh environment. The Pilgrims were not prepared for what they had to go through, but God had provided. The formal establishment years later of a formal holiday of giving thanks to God had a purpose. It serves to remind us that all good things come from God, and we are to be thankful to Him. I have become aware of a new trend of calling the Thanksgiving gathering as Friends Giving. When I see this, it makes me aware of something that is missing. That something is God. We can be thankful for friends. But ultimately who are we thankful to? God. In everything be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thanksgiving was a day to give thanks to God. When you change that celebration to Friends Giving it leaves God out of the meaning and purpose of the holiday. If you want to celebrate your friends feel free to create a day to do it after all we have Boss’s Day, Grand Parents Day, National Pizza Day, and a plethora of others but leave Thanksgiving alone. Years ago, the trend was to remove God from Christmas and just say Happy Holiday. Friends Giving does not and should not replace Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has always been celebrated with family, friends or even strangers. I’m thankful for my God, my family and friends and my country. I am only thankful to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17) So today, Lord, I’m thankful for Thanksgiving and the reason we celebrate it. No changes needed.