Giving Thanks in Every Season

When we think about Thanksgiving, we probably think about the people we’ll spend it with, what we’re going to eat, and maybe who’s bringing what. Somewhere in there, we might also think about the Pilgrims and that first Thanksgiving we learned about in school. But there’s something in that familiar story that’s worth slowing down to consider: how those people understood the blessings they had received.

In the fall of 1621, the English settlers at Plymouth celebrated their harvest with a feast that lasted three days. The Wampanoag leader Massasoit joined them with about ninety men, who contributed five deer to the gathering. This is the event we usually call the “first Thanksgiving,” although people had been giving thanks and celebrating harvests long before then.

What’s easy to miss is what had happened before that celebration. About half of the Mayflower passengers had died during the first winter. The survivors had endured sickness, loss, and uncertainty. By harvest time, they had something to celebrate, but they also had people to grieve. A good harvest couldn’t undo what they had been through.

Their survival also involved help from others. Tisquantum, whom many of us know as Squanto, had taught the settlers how to plant corn and fertilize the ground with fish. Remembering that help gives us a fuller picture of the harvest they celebrated. It also reminds us to notice the people through whom we receive blessings.

I think there’s something there for us. It’s easy to pray about something when we’re worried. We ask God to provide, to help, to open a door, or to carry someone we love through a difficult time. But when the answer comes, we can move right along to the next concern. We enjoy the provision and forget to stop and thank the One who provided it.

Psalm 107:1 says, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

That gives us a reason for thanksgiving that carries through every season. God’s goodness is steady, even when our circumstances are difficult. Through Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness, a living hope, and the assurance that we belong to Him. Those are blessings we can return to when we’re struggling to find the words to pray.

Some of us will come to Thanksgiving this year with a lot to celebrate. Others will come tired, worried, or missing someone deeply. We can bring all of that before the Lord. We can thank Him honestly while still asking for His help.

As we gather this Thanksgiving, let’s take time to name His blessings, remember the people who have helped us, and share what we’ve received. And when we bow our heads, let’s give our attention to the God whose goodness gives us reason to give thanks.

Praying for you and me,

William