Happy Thanksgiving from Italy!! Although it always amazes me how many people don’t know that Italy doesn’t celebrate this holiday. And it saddens me too, because it means that many (even in North America) don’t seem to know the history of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a distinctly North American holiday, inspired by the celebrations of the Pilgrims. So, considering that Italy never had Pilgrims or Native Americans, how could it have the holiday?
I know there’s controversy today about the true history of the holiday. But the fact remains that William Bradford, governor of the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony, recorded the celebration in his journal. (Learn more at History.com.) He says that after a bountiful harvest, a special day was proclaimed to render give thanks to Almighty God for all His blessings.
I wish that America and Americans (and people everywhere) would once again begin to observe Thanksgiving as a day to truly give thanks to God. Our disintegrating societies need to turn to God more than ever. To realize how great His mercy and grace is for us all. And to bow down before Him in true gratitude.
Would that Turkey Day would be forgotten, as wonderful as all the feasting is. Would that Super Bowl Day would take second place.
Would that hearts everywhere would overflow with thanksgiving, praise, and gratitude for all that God has done – much of which we are unaware.
Yet some ask these days, “Thanksgiving? What do we have to feel thankful for these days?”
Thanksgiving? In these uncertain times?
How can we give thanks when the world seems to be crumbling around us? With death and war and suffering all around us? How can we be thankful when fear swirls in our hearts and minds?
We live in a hard world, where ugliness is on the rise. Clear signs, surely, that Christ’s return is drawing near.
People ask how a just God can allow evil to continue. And the answer is: he doesn’t. He’s only allowing it for a time, waiting for people to turn to Him. The day will come when He will call a halt to it But until that day comes – how can we celebrate Thanksgiving in this world gone so wrong?
Take heart from David
The LORD is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
Psalm 27:1
One answer lies in the encouraging words of King David. David knew fear. He knew what it meant to have trouble on all sides. In fact, scholars believe that David wrote Psalm 27 while in exile. Cast out and abandoned. His son tried to take the throne. Enemies pursued and threatened from all sides. David had indeed reached a low point.
But he celebrated with songs of praise. “I will sing and make music,” he declared, “and continue to seek the face of God.” Why? And how could he do it?
Because he knew that the Lord protects us, hides us, and keeps us safe. The Lord answers our prayers, helps us, and is good to us. And that even if everyone else abandons or rejects us, the Lord never will. He will continue to protect us. David had seen all this and more many times in his life.
He knew that the Lord is a shelter in the storm. A strong fortress in times of trouble. And a hiding place in a world gone awry. This enabled him to trust God for the present and the future. And to declare that he would always give thanks and praise, come what may.
So this year, like David let’s not only thank the Lord for his faithfulness, care, and protection – past and present. But let’s also thank Him for the future. He will not leave us hopeless, and that’s something to be truly thankful for! The best is yet to come!
Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:17-18
Signora Sheila 
20 responses to “Thanksgiving for the Future”
Thank you, Sheila. We are into December already but reading this today brings on Thanks for me. More reasons to Thank our Father GOD than I can count all day, every day.
And thank you for writing. Love to you my Friend.
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So true, Kathie. We could never run out of reasons for thanking the Lord. Love to you, too!
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Oh, Psalm 27:1 is one of my life verses, yet I never connected it with Thanksgiving. I picture David hiding out with his men in the cave, surrounded by Saul’s army, and receiving these words from God as encouragement, both to himself as well as us. What a great application. Happy belated Thanksgiving to you both.
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That’s one of the things that makes God’s Word so amazing! It has so many facets. And we can never fully grasp all its greatness!
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Our Heavenly Father has built into the acts of gratitude and praise a response of joy in our hearts. And you’ve given us a worthwhile starter-list of things we can be thankful for, Sheila, even when circumstances are difficult. How short-sighted we are to forego the benefits of gratitude.
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So true, my dear friend. I read a quote lately, but I don’t remember where. “If you have an attitude problem, you have a gratitude problem.” So often our difficulty is not so much the difficulties we encounter, but our attitude in them. Gratitude lifts us above them and our gratitude list could and should be endless!
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Wise words, Sheila–thank you!
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❤
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Like Psalm 107 instructs us to do, let us give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let’s praise the LORD for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for us.
Sheila, may you and Mario rejoice in God’s great love and works in and through you.
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Thank you! Let us give thanks and praise to God all the time!
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Beautiful message, Sheila! My daughter Lilly brought her roommate home from university for Thanksgiving, and her roommate is from the Philippines. So we got to explain to her the reason for our holiday and include her in our celebration of God’s goodness. :) It has been a fun time.
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Oh, that is fun, Linda! We have enjoyed introducing friends and neighbors to Thanksgiving through the years. We no longer do a home celebration, but church has a Thanksgiving outreach. What better way to reach out than with good food and a message on the reason for our hope and gratitude?!
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That sounds amazing!
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It is!!
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Do you go ahead and celebrate Thanksgiving while in Italy? You have very appropriate post for our times. Things are bad in many places but we still have hope.
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No, we stopped celebrating Thanksgiving after our kids grew up and moved away. Hubby has usually had to work, plus it’s a lot of work to go to just for the two of us. But our church does a Thanksgiving celebration as a means of outreach. What better way to reach out than by sharing the reason for our hope and all that God has done? So we do enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner – just prepared by many willing hands!!
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Truly that is the best kind.
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We love it, and so do the folks who come as guests!
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David understood pain and trauma better than most, but he also knew what it meant to rely on the Lord and not be afraid. I know I can learn much from his resilience and humility. Thanks for this wonderful reminder of what we need to make us whole and full of joy–a heart of genuine gratitude.
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Yes, David did understand pain and trauma better than most. Perhaps that’s the secret of why his Psalms touch hearts in such a deep way. And for me, at least, lift my heart to a place of rejoicing and thanksgiving!
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