Reflections on Thanksgiving, 2021…

This Thanksgiving has been like no other in the history of my immediate family. We lost a grandson. The stark absence of his presence was as a heavy wet blanket put over a shivering body. Trying to find words of comfort in a time of great sorrow…

Yet, the words I prayed the other day came back to me:

9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:9-10

A stronghold is something you have to enter into, you are not automatically there. It is a deliberate step as a result of considering your options – “is there an enemy present”?, “Do I want to be safe and secure? ” After pondering the options, and choosing to enter the stronghold, there is still an element of trust that is required, “How do I know how this stronghold is well put together”? “Can I trust the designer”?

The Pilgrims who pressed toward the unknown country well over 500 years ago, did so with a thought that this country would be for them a stronghold, a place of safety where they could worship God in the manner they chose. They had to trust that battling the wind and the waves of the Atlantic, and then coming here weary, worn and sick, that the One who made this country designed this stronghold well. As they celebrated their first harvest in the new world, Governor William Bradford called for a thanksgiving feast.

It was not until Abraham Lincoln’s presidency that Thanksgiving became an official celebration. It has since been seen as an opportunity to give thanks for all the benefits this nation enjoys.

As I reflect on this Thanksgiving, in spite of the difficult circumstances my family finds itself experiencing- I can still say that my Father provided a stronghold. That He blessed my family with a covering He designed, made secure with the prayers of the saints. And when I awoke this morning I could hear in my spirit:

Everyday Is A Day Of Thanksgiving

Dr. Charles G. Hayes & The Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer

…Everyday is a day of thanksgiving
God’s been so good to me
Everyday He’s blessing me
Everyday is a day of thanksgiving
Take the time to glorify the LordMar
Take the time to glorify the Lord
Take the time to glorify the Lord today..

Maria