Many Americans don’t know this, but the first recorded thanksgiving
celebration in North America took place forty-three
years before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, and was
observed by Martin Frobisher, an English pirate/explorer. He was trying unsuccessfully to find a
passage to China
and India, and
after leaving England
with three small ships, encountered storms and ice. One ship was lost, another abandoned, and
when they finally arrived safely on land in what is now Newfoundland,
Canada, he was
glad to be alive. So on May 27, 1578, Frobisher and his crew had
a celebration of thanksgiving for their safe arrival.
Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving much like Americans, but
they have their holiday the second Monday in October, which this year was on October
10th. And since we were on
vacation in Newfoundland on this
day, I’m writing this article as one who has already celebrated Thanksgiving
once this year. On November 24th
when most other Americans will celebrate the holiday for the first time in 2016 Patsy and I will be celebrating it
for a second time!
Like Frobisher’s search for India,
our Canadian Thanksgiving didn’t go as planned.
The week before, we had passed a church in Clarenville,
Newfoundland, that was putting up a
sign: “Thanksgiving Turkey meal, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.”, and we thought that since
we’d be back in the area on the Canadian Thanksgiving Day, we’d drop in. We were looking forward to celebrating with
other Canadian Church Folk, and enjoying the turkey and whatever else Canadians
eat for the holiday (poutine, maybe?).
But Thanksgiving Day in Newfoundland
didn’t go as planned. Hurricane Matthew
hit the island, and it rained all day.
We made it to the Clarenville area just fine, even though we were
stranded there because the only road crossing Newfoundland
washed out. Still, we were looking
forward to the 5 p.m. Thanksgiving
Turkey Dinner. But when we pulled into the
church parking lot, no one was there. We
apparently hadn’t stayed long enough for the entire sign to be erected. It actually read: “Thanksgiving Turkey Meal, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., on October 19th”.
The dinner wasn’t for another week! So
we had to find a restaurant open on a holiday and like much of life, we had to resign
ourselves to things not going as planned.
But we still had a great time. We still were thankful. And I think that’s what Thanksgiving is
really about.
We’re not thankful because our life flows smoothly, we’ve
got lots of good things, and a feast sits on the table. We’re thankful regardless of the storms of
life, our possessions, and our food. Gratitude is an attitude, and thankfulness
flows from our heart, not our circumstances.
Habakkuk knew this when he wrote: Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on
the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the
stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NRSV).
We don't always embrace this kind of attitude, and I think that’s what the holiday of
Thanksgiving is really about. We’re not
thankful one day a year. We’re reminded
one day a year to be thankful every day.
Our Canadian Thanksgiving didn’t go as planned and who knows if our
U.S. Thanksgiving will. But regardless, I’m
going to have more than two Thanksgivings this year. I’m going to have a helping of gratitude
every day. And why not? I’m grateful in so many ways everyday for
you, and for all the blessings that enrich my life. I hope you are grateful as well.
Yours in Christ;
David
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