Thanksgiving is an Opportunity

As we all know, there are 365 days in a year but there are 3 days that are extremely special to all of us because it causes us to remember an event and causes to do something that normally we may not do.

The first is Easter. This day is when most people go to church. Some people only go to church on this day. This has become a tradition for many people but it is more than a tradition. This is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after being in the tomb for three days. It is time when families come together.

The second is Thanksgiving. Many families are separated because of work or other circumstances but just this year alone, over 40 million people traveled throughout the U.S to be with their families. Thanksgiving is not just about eating turkey and sweet potato pie, it is a time to give thanks to the Lord for everything that God has given them.

When the pilgrims reach the new world back in the 1600's after a terrible voyage on the ship called the Mayflower, they went through a terrible winter and they suffered incredibly. When they finally had their first harvest, the pilgrims all came together and prayed thanking God for his mercy on them. Even though cultures around the world for hundreds of years have celebrated some kind of thanksgiving for their harvest, our thanksgiving is based on the pilgrims who came to america.

On this day, we have an opportunity to sit back and think about what God had given us. I know that many people are out of work and times are very hard but compared to other people in this world, especially in third world countries, we are truly blessed. We are eating turkey when many people do not even have clean water to drink. We should thank God for our families, our health, our lives, and most of all, we should thank God for loving us so much that He gave his only son to die on the cross for us. This day is truly an opportunity for all us. Let you family know how much you love them. If you have had problems before with any family members, please go to them and give them a hug and a kiss. Tell them how much you appreciate them.
The Bible says for us to always GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD.

The third day is Christmas. The day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on this earth. Our savior who came to this earth to show us true grace and love and sacrifice. There is nothing wrong with traditions. One tradition is to give gifts to your love ones and to show love to the ones you do not even know by giving to charities and to the homeless. Christmas is a time of giving and sharing but never forget that the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Why did i mention these three dates? All three of these dates our thanksgiving. We should give thanks to God on all three of these days because they all represent something very special. The truth is, thanksgiving should be a daily activity in each of our lives.

Philip