A Historical Reminder Of The True Meaning Of Thanksgiving, Lest We Ever Forget... by Doug Wrenn

A Historical Reminder Of The True Meaning Of Thanksgiving, Lest We Ever Forget…

By Doug Wrenn

November 20, 2007

Amidst all the various pleasant traditional holiday distractions of turkey and stuffing, football rivalries, and travel, the joy of visits from family, relatives, neighbors and friends, or the deep but unanswered yearning of their presence, it is entirely worthy to take note of the real meaning of Thanksgiving, as so penned over 200 years ago by our nation's original "George Dubya," in a time in which such direct yet poignant truths were not only much easier to write, but also were more welcomed to be received. These many decades later, however, the significance of the message, while perhaps now more forgotten, if not ignored or even denied, is no less significant, and perhaps, in our current era, and even more profound:

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committees, requested me 'to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness':

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these United States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed it; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789."

(signed) G. Washington

My friends, I wish all of you and your families a blessed, safe, and joyful Thanksgiving. For those of you especially who may have an empty chair at your table this year, let us all hope and pray that where it is possible, those chairs may again be occupied by this time next year, and where those chairs will now forever remain empty, may the never-ending love of Almighty God grant eternal care and protection to those we have lost, and peace, strength, solace and faith to all who remain. And for those who have less than us in terms of bread to break and fellowship with which to break it, may we serve as an extension of our Creator's loving arm to reach out to those people, and to give to them at least some of the gifts that our loving Father has so generously and so often given to so many of us for so long in time.

Doug Wrenn