I came across a show last night on the history channel about how Thanksgiving came to be. Of course much of it was about the pilgrims in Plymouth who I've always been fascinated with--so much so that I talked my mom into going there this last summer for a week. Fabulous trip that I'd do again in a heartbeat but I'm getting off the subject...right, Thanksgiving. While I'm watching this show a historian starts explaining that the tradition of this holiday actually predates the pilgrims and goes all the way back to a day celebrated by Europeans every year in the fall in which families would go to church for the whole day and spend it there thanking God for all His blessings that year. They actually fasted the whole day since it was spent in church. I found it interesting (and a bit humorous) how this holiday has evolved. Now instead of a united day of abstaining from food so we can focus on expressing our heart's gratitude, we come together as a nation in stuffing our mouths with more food than any other day of the year while Grandma forces everyone at the table to say at least one thing we're grateful for!
Regardless of how this day is celebrated, it's always good to remember what it is we're thankful for and hopefully we all work at counting our blessings more days than not. And there is an endless list in my heart of all that I'm grateful for. Family, love, good friends, health, a warm home...as the list goes on a person can't help but knowing who it is they are saying "thank you" to. There's an old song that you've probably heard that goes "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..." and that's what I hope and pray His ears hear tomorrow. Pure and simple praises of thanksgiving.
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