Who Do You Thank?
Thankfulness is (or should be) a universal characteristic, but Thanksgiving as an event is uniquely American and explicitly religious, despite the efforts of the ACLUsians to convince us otherwise. After all, what's the point of giving thanks, unless you give it to Someone?
I suppose you could thank a nebulous imaginary concoction like "Mother Nature" for the blessings of life, but frankly, Mother Nature doesn't care about you. Or, you could thank family members or friends or even The Government for special things in your life; that's laudable and we shouldn't forget to do that, but their ability to continue to give you what you need whenever you need it is ultimately limited, not only by their resources, but also by their motivation and their ability to love you without fail.
No, only God is worthy of our thanks, in the things that have true significance. With that in mind, I hope you and your family have a joyful time together and that you are able to slow things down a bit to offer special thanks to the Giver of all good and perfect gifts. And as we ponder the blessings of life, may we be empowered to share them with others, in an attitude of humility and grace.
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!
Even if a person does not give thanks to God as the name of the holiday (holy-day) suggests, it is still worthy of celebration in its own right.
Even from a secular standpoint, Thanksgiving celebrates living in the best country on earth, the vastness of its natural resources, the security of its military might, and the wisdom of its selfless, dedicated, far-seeing Republican leadership.
We live better than most people on the planet, even among Western industrialized nations. What better way to celebrate that fact than with food? Thanksgiving is the day to bask in the richness this country produces.
Posted by: Mr. Freen at November 24, 2004 06:44 PMBoy you just love to stir that pot don't you by pointing out the obvious. I couldn't agree with you more. Amen brother.
BTW - Let me know if you get any search engine hits on the word "ACLUsians". I just loved that.
Posted by: shannon at November 25, 2004 10:19 AMRachel, happy birthday! I can't think of a better time for giving thanks than one's birthday observance.
Mr. Freen, some of look at all of those things you mention and still come up with the heartfelt phrase, "Thank God!"
Shannon, some pots just cry out for stirring, you know? ;-)
Posted by: Eric at November 25, 2004 11:36 AMAbout the publisher
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Posted by: Rachel at November 24, 2004 04:04 PM