FOR WHAT ARE WE THANKFUL?
WHO DO WE THANK?
We are thankful to live in a country that has a national holiday for giving thanks, and we remember the reason for Thanksgiving. Days of thanksgiving, marked by prayer, were part of the Pilgrim’s religion. The original Thanksgiving feast celebrated the Pilgrim colony’s first successful harvest in 1621. These early English settlers came to America seeking religious freedom, claiming America for God. We are grateful for this heritage and for the many blessings He has bestowed on us – especially the non-monetary, valuable treasures which we may neglect to count and for which we may forget to thank God.
You may have heard the saying, “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a GIFT. That’s why it’s called the present.” (Bill Keane, The Family Circus) Time is a marvelous, intangible treasure. Thank you, Lord, for this “present.”
Veteran’s Day was on the 11th of this month. We are thankful for the dutiful men and women, past and present, serving our country who have fought for our freedom and liberties. One result is our freedom to assemble and form organizations to battle what is wrong, like the culture of death. We are grateful that God has given us the vision to see the beauty and value of each individual human life and to know that life is truly our most precious gift.
HALO is thankful to our readers and those of you who support us in a variety of ways – with prayers, donations, and being “doers” for the sanctity and dignity of human life. These are fruitful ways to show gratitude for the work of the life advocates who have gone before us. We thank God for the strength and determination He gives us to continue this work and not grow weary.
It has been a little more than a year since we took the bold step of founding HALO. We give God thanks for the mysterious ways in which He works when we strive to do His will. Special thanks and gratitude to our believing board members and advisory board members, to our families, and to those who help us in other ways not mentioned, but still greatly appreciated.
Reflecting on the process of forming HALO and the progress made, God’s timing was and continues to be perfect, despite our impatience. We thank Him for teaching us patience and helping us grow in trust.
Many of us will enjoy family and friends this Thanksgiving, some with a bountiful meal. As we do, let us reflect on what we are thankful for and to whom. We, in this country, have been so blessed by our Creator and Lord of Life. It is my prayer that we all continue to plant seeds (with education and advocacy), grow, and harvest the fruits of our labors. HALO has much more work to do and many goals to reach, but we know to whom we must turn for guidance and the gifts we need.
May you recognize and offer thanksgiving to the Gift-Giver in your life.