1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in October 1621. This feast lasted three days, and--as recounted by attendee Edward Winslow— was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims.
I often think as a woman there is so much work to do to prepare for the Thanksgiving meal that's gone in an hour or less. Then, I think of all of the preparations I don't have to do and I am so thankful. I do not have to pluck the feathers from my turkey or gather my fruits and nuts all year long.
While no records exist of the exact bill of fare, the Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow noted in his journal that the colony’s governor, William Bradford, sent four men on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the three-day event: "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week.”
In “On Plymouth Planation,” Bradford’s famous account of the founding of Plymouth Colony, he remarked of the fall harvest that year that: “there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.” Wild—but not domestic—turkey was indeed plentiful in the region and a common food source for both English settlers and Native Americans. But it is just as likely that the fowling party returned with other birds we know the colonists regularly consumed, such as ducks, geese and swans. Instead of bread-based stuffing, herbs, onions or nuts might have been added to the birds for extra flavor.
Well, things have gotten a lot easier and things have gotten a lot harder. In all my years of living, I have decided that each generation has their challenges. Each generation has their battles, and things that are difficult. There is a give and take to life. We may go to the grocery store and buy an already prepared turkey dinner, but we loose the love and preparation that is our gift to our family--the memories of the summer berries we picked knowing this day would come. We loose the connection between work and eat, prepare and save for another day. We have the mentality that things will just always be at our disposal, and that is no longer true.
I often think as a woman there is so much work to do to prepare for the Thanksgiving meal that's gone in an hour or less. Then, I think of all of the preparations I don't have to do and I am so thankful. I do not have to pluck the feathers from my turkey or gather my fruits and nuts all year long.
While no records exist of the exact bill of fare, the Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow noted in his journal that the colony’s governor, William Bradford, sent four men on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the three-day event: "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week.”
In “On Plymouth Planation,” Bradford’s famous account of the founding of Plymouth Colony, he remarked of the fall harvest that year that: “there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.” Wild—but not domestic—turkey was indeed plentiful in the region and a common food source for both English settlers and Native Americans. But it is just as likely that the fowling party returned with other birds we know the colonists regularly consumed, such as ducks, geese and swans. Instead of bread-based stuffing, herbs, onions or nuts might have been added to the birds for extra flavor.
Well, things have gotten a lot easier and things have gotten a lot harder. In all my years of living, I have decided that each generation has their challenges. Each generation has their battles, and things that are difficult. There is a give and take to life. We may go to the grocery store and buy an already prepared turkey dinner, but we loose the love and preparation that is our gift to our family--the memories of the summer berries we picked knowing this day would come. We loose the connection between work and eat, prepare and save for another day. We have the mentality that things will just always be at our disposal, and that is no longer true.
ACTION STEP: This year more than any year I can recall, I am thankful yet contemplative. How many more years will Americans even celebrate Thanksgiving? Are we truly a thankful people? Will we even be able to purchase the "Turkey" as we know it? I certainly don't want to be the "Downer" here, but rather to encourage us all to be truly grateful for what we have, and how far we have come in food acquisition and preservation. Think how much easier it is for to obtain our meal. But, at the same time let's take a minute, and think about what we've lost? What do we need to bring back to the American table, and what do we need to pass on to our children so it is not lost forever? I for one, want to teach my grandsons that it takes hard work to prepare for a family. I want to teach gratitude. I want to model saving today for tomorrow. I want them to know they matter, and sitting around my table is one of my greatest gifts from God, just having them there. What do you want to pass on to your family members?
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