“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
I thought about writing something that pertains to Black Friday today, but it’s really not that important to me this year; past memories are. When I was a young child the focus point of our Thanksgiving was pilgrims, Indians, turkey and giving thanks for all of our earthly blessings. I still recall how awesome our house smelled and felt when the turkey came out of the oven. That was six decades ago and now the focus of thanksgiving seems to be fading as our some in our culture are telling us how evil those pilgrims were and still there are others who are preparing us for Christmas, all the while our fallen world is focusing on vaccine mandates, CRT, supply chain shortages, inflation, kidnappings and online companies are proclaiming that sales are starting NOW; be still.
Back in the day, when I lived in Haiti, this North American holiday celebrated on Thursday, ‘thanksgiving’, was not celebrated in their country. And, it probably still is not even though I am still receiving ‘happy thanksgiving’ messages from a few of my Haitian friends to this day. Back then, the Haitian office staff knew this and asked if I would prepare a thanksgiving meal for them with mashed potatoes and gravy; something that they had never experienced. We fried a freshly sacrificed Haitian chicken and I made mashed potatoes and homemade gravy like my mother and grandmother used to make with the lumps of the ‘goody’ left in the frying pan; recalling thanksgiving in Nebraska while living in Haiti brought me memories of the reasons for which I was thankful.
Our Heavenly Father has ordained many traditions and specific rituals to teach His people proper responses to His love and mercy. Our Lord Jesus fulfilled the law of the Old Testament, and because of His ultimate sacrifice, we no longer must practice the laws that were in place to teach us of our shortcomings. But Christ clearly promoted special times of giving thanks, and the teachings of Paul include turning our attitudes constantly towards gratitude. The girls in the attached photo attend the Lutheran School in Ouanaminthe and they are giving thanks for their loving Savior, their school, their teachers, their meal and for you.
Our Heavenly Father is not the God of hustle and bustle and stressful preparations that we North Americans have come to know. He taught that we should quiet down and sit before Him. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Perhaps the best way for us to experience this thanksgiving season is to make a special time for Thanksgiving prayers and heartfelt meditation. We close today with the words from the hymn ‘Christ, by Heavenly Hosts Adored’ which was written by Henry Harbaugh in 1860.
“Christ, by heavenly host adored, gracious, mighty, sovereign Lord God of nations, King of kings, Head of all created things, by the Church with Joy confessed, God o'er all forever blest, pleading at Thy throne we stand, save Thy people, bless our land. On our fields of grass and grain send, 0 Lord, the kindly rain; o'er our wide and goodly land crown the labors of each hand. Let Thy kind protection be o'er our commerce on the sea. open, Lord, Thy bounteous hand; bless Thy people, bless our land. Let our rulers ever be men that love and honor Thee; let the powers by Thee ordained be in righteousness maintained. In the people's hearts increase love of piety and peace. Thus united, we shall stand one wide, free, and happy land.”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay