As we move toward the Thanksgiving holiday, we find ourselves hit daily with bad news of war in Gaza and of war in the Ukraine, of ads telling us of the "necessity" of shopping on "Black Friday," and by reports of the political rancor in the country, reports of primaries and projections of 2024 elections, and on and on. Rarely do I hear anyone publicly encouraging the country to take time to pause and thank God for our many, many blessings on the Thanksgiving holiday.
The excessive number of "Black Friday" ads seem to imply that Americans simply bypass Thanksgiving and start spending lots of money for Christmas.
I would suggest that we stop, take a breath, and in the midst of family Thanksgiving gatherings, in the midst of Thanksgiving Day football, in the midst of frenzied schedules, we take a few minutes to recount our blessings and humbly thank God for them.
The national holiday of Thanksgiving was intended to honor the legendary Pilgrim celebration and to set aside a day for the country to express gratitude.
Maybe this year we try putting aside the "busyness" of life briefly to observe the holiday as it was intended to be celebrated?
Tim McDonald