Is There Anything to be Thankful for Anymore? Yes!
Here we are again–Thanksgiving, the time where all Americans choose to reflect on what they are thankful for in their life. This year commemorates the 150th official observance of Thanksgiving Day. Abraham Lincoln saw fit for Americans to set aside one day a year, to observe and specifically consider, all we have to be thankful for in our lives.
Today, social networking sites are filled with individuals posting daily lists of thankfulness. In some cases, when daily “thanksgiving” postings are missed by the list makers, their faithful “followers” get a double helping of people’s thanksgivings, from these “grateful” postings.
For political hounds and news junkies, it is sometimes hard to honestly see the goodness in life and recognizing the things for which we should give thanks. In recent years, this inability to be genuinely thankful, has grown due to our nation’s circumstances and standing in the world.
America is in a cycle of leaders that are lying to forward agendas which the larger percentage of the public doesn’t want. They are being cheated out of their hard-earned money with legislation such as Obamacare. Families are suffering, not only during the holidays, but every day, because they still have no answers as to why their loved ones lost their lives representing our nation in Benghazi. And now our diplomatic team has left an American pastor, alone and at risk of losing is life, in the hands of Iranians, in one of the world’s most dangerous prisons. These things alone can make positive thinking and enumeration of blessings seems almost a guilty pleasure.
It can sometimes feel as though, finding the blessings in our country, in darker times such as these, creates a Pollyanna type of mentality. A state of mind which seems numbing, to those of us who revel in the fight to maintain our freedoms, while an extreme liberal administration and agenda is being shoved down our throats. There is a feeling of guilt, if we take a moment and reflect upon what is still good in our nation. For me, it almost causes a feeling as though I am relenting in my opposition of the current administration. In a way, giving in to Obama and somehow saying all things are good in our country, because of him.
If I contemplate the true blessings my family enjoys each day, I know the blessings are from God. An uneasiness sometimes comes upon me to want to hide my blessings and thankfulness from others, for fear someone will attach them to Obama, giving credit to his radical ideologies. Thus creating fear and anxiety, that someone so misaligned with the proclivity of our Nation, might be given credit for something he had no control over.
It’s in these times, I remind myself, Obama and his “minions” only think they are in control–but God is in absolute control. Our country was established on this fact. The Pilgrims knew who was in control and wanted to spread that message to the world. When they came to the new land and established their settlements, they knew to whom credit should be given.
Thankfulness and blessings are radical beliefs in today’s world. As a society we have traveled so far from what the Pilgrims first believed. We have traveled so far from what our founding father’s believed and established in our original documents for our nation.
We must not be ashamed of accrediting God for the blessings He has bestowed on our great land.
To have the freedom to write an article and mention God’s name and influence, is the greatest blessing we have been given. The opportunities to worship in the manner we please, having the gift of free speech, even if others oppose our viewpoint, the freedom to learn from our mistakes without being put to death. The ability for all members of society to function as equals. Some citizens still believe all are not equal, however compared to other societies on earth, it doesn’t get much better than in America. Even if you believe there are inequalities, there are few governments where you are allowed to freely, without threat of death, espouse your beliefs openly.
The list of basic freedoms is extensive and yet so many times we allow the dross of Washington to cloud our thinking. We begin to believe there is very little to be thankful for and only see the horrifying possibilities of what may come to fruition, at the hands of the current leadership.
This Thanksgiving, don’t lose hope. Don’t allow the self-centeredness of our country’s leaders and their inability to make proper decisions, for our present and future, cause you to lose hope. There is nothing Washington D.C. would be more thankful for this week, than for those of us who truly love this Nation and believe it can rise from the ashes, to lose heart. To believe the lies that America is no longer exceptional. That redistribution, socialist ideas and secularism is what we need to make America great, again.
This week, stand with your family and friends, enumerating the blessings God has bestowed on you, His people. Discuss ways with others, to continue renewing and supporting your rationale for your beliefs and find ways to encourage those who may be wandering, searching for answers. There is much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving week. Obama deserves none of the credit.
God deserves it all.
Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless you richly in the coming year.
