| Finally, the house was quiet and I was | | | | you ever noticed that when you are planning a |
| relaxing in my favorite recliner musing on | | | | feast of some kind, relatives who never |
| the activities of the day. Just a few hours | | | | bother you the rest of the year (something to |
| previous, the house was clamoring with the | | | | be thankful for) seem to gravitate to your |
| noise of my family celebrating another | | | | gravy bowl? There is nothing like unexpected |
| Thanksgiving Day together. My wife is in the | | | | company to put pizzazz in a Thanksgiving |
| kitchen putting the final touches on the | | | | celebration. And who wants pizza for |
| cleanup activity that finished a few moments | | | | Thanksgiving when there is so much turkey? |
| ago. Everyone has different ideas about | | | | Imagine the Pilgrim Mother's surprise when |
| Thanksgiving. | | | | the Pilgrim Fathers told them (probably on |
| Finally, the house was quiet and I was | | | | Thanksgiving morning) that they had invited |
| relaxing in my favorite recliner musing on | | | | guests for the feast. I can imagine some ears |
| the activities of the day. Just a few hours | | | | were roasted that first Thanksgiving Day. The |
| previous, the house was clamoring with the | | | | Pilgrim Fathers braved through the stinging |
| noise of my family celebrating another | | | | rebukes from their wives...for months. They |
| Thanksgiving Day together. My wife is in the | | | | guests that the Pilgrim Fathers invited were |
| kitchen putting the final touches on the | | | | none other than the Native Americans. After |
| cleanup activity that finished a few moments | | | | all, whom else could they invite? The history |
| ago. Everyone has different ideas about | | | | books do not record this, but I have every |
| Thanksgiving. My wife, for example, enjoys | | | | reason to suspect the Native Americans at the |
| all of the planning that goes into this | | | | time had a different view about this |
| special day. I, on the other hand, enjoy the | | | | Thanksgiving Day feast. The primary reason |
| memories. Reflecting on the day, my mind | | | | they all came on this particular day was the |
| focused on a curious thought. What was that | | | | assumption, and probably the language barrier |
| first Thanksgiving all about? How did it all | | | | created some of this confusion what with the |
| come to be? It is clear to me that our | | | | Pilgrims always using words like Thee and |
| Pilgrim Fathers came up with the idea of a | | | | Thou, that this was a going away party for |
| Thanksgiving feast. The Pilgrim Mothers were | | | | the pilgrims. Regardless of its genesis, |
| too busy doing the wash and caring for the | | | | Thanksgiving is a marvelous revelation of |
| children to think of any more work. I can | | | | things we can be thankful for all year long. |
| imagine the Pilgrim Fathers sitting around | | | | Most of the time all we hear is the bad news. |
| waiting for someone to invent television so | | | | It is good for us take one day out of the |
| they could all watch a football game when | | | | year, at least, and concentrate on good news. |
| someone had an idea. Most ideas are born in | | | | Thanksgiving is a marvelous time for family |
| the midst of great boredom, which is why so | | | | and friends to get together to celebrate the |
| many of them are...well...stupid. "There's | | | | goodness of the Lord. Each family has its own |
| nothing to do," one really bored Pilgrim | | | | special tradition that seems to bring it |
| Father said. "Let's get together and have a | | | | together. At Thanksgiving, we should bring a |
| feast." Because nothing else was happening, | | | | bouquet of blessing filling the room with a |
| the other Pilgrim Fathers got excited about | | | | sweet fragrance of praise that lingers all |
| this idea. The Pilgrim Mothers, however, had | | | | year long. Some of the best and most fragrant |
| some different thoughts about this crazy | | | | bouquets are the small ones. Remembering the |
| feast idea. The Pilgrim Mothers wanted a | | | | big blessings is easy. The smaller blessings |
| Tupperware party, but since it was not yet a | | | | are much harder to keep in mind. This |
| two-party system, they could only do one | | | | Thanksgiving make a point to look over some |
| party. The Pilgrim Fathers won this one. | | | | blessing you have been overlooking. It is |
| However, like the good Puritan wives they | | | | those small blessing that truly sustains us |
| were, they humored their husbands and began | | | | throughout the year. "But I have all, and |
| preparations for the first Thanksgiving | | | | abound: I am full, having received of |
| feast. What the Pilgrim Mothers did not count | | | | Epaphroditus the things which were sent from |
| on was company for dinner. After all, they | | | | you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice |
| were thousands of miles from their nearest | | | | acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God |
| relatives with a big ocean between them. They | | | | shall supply all your need according to his |
| assumed, and rightly so, they were safe from | | | | riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians |
| the intrusion of company on what would be the | | | | 4:18-19 KJV). |
| heaviest workday for the kitchen crew. Have | | | | |