Charlotte, NC — “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”—James 1:17
For anyone who adheres to the principles of liberty, limited government and personal responsibility, it’s easy to be pessimistic about where our nation has been headed considering the ongoing medical tyranny that we face. It’s Thanksgiving, and you might be wondering what to be thankful for this year.
I’m certainly pessimistic, but at the same time, I have to remind myself of all that has been given to me by God. And Thanksgiving serves as a good time to remember that. And a look back at the first Thanksgiving of the colonists at Plymouth Rock can serve as a bit of hope that things can change if the people start desiring independence.
Richard Maybury writes for the Mises Institute about the history of the early Thanksgivings with some often-overlooked history of the colonists. To sum it up, the early colonists actually tried a communal, socialistic approach with no such thing as private property. Thanksgiving “was not so much a celebration as it was the last meal of condemned men.” But, as they were certainly more grounded in their Christian principles then Americans are today, they saw the error of their ways and instituted freedom and private property rights, and suddenly Thanksgiving did become that thanks for bountiful feasts, not only for one day but for the entire year to come.
In good times and bad, those colonists always gave thanks to God. That, in fact, is the entire point of Thanksgiving. It’s not meant to be a uniquely American holiday, it is meant as a Christian holiday to thank God who always deserves all the glory.
No matter my pessimism of where things are headed here on earth, I always will have the great optimism in my eternal life to come. That’s always the first thing all who have accepted the free gift of eternal life, given by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, should be thankful for. I am thankful that despite being a wretched sinner who deserves damnation, God sent his only Son to earth to die for my sins.
Beyond that, we should always be thankful for any food that we have, any shelter, any clothing that God has provided us. We should be thankful for our family, our friends.
For me personally, I’m thankful that although my dad and myself live in Illinois (with the worst governor in America, and yes, I’ll fight you Californians and New Yorkers on that), we’ve been able to escape the “vaccine” mandates so far, and been able to, for the most part, avoid mask tyrants.
I’m thankful that my nieces and nephew live in Nebraska and are able to breath easily at school, unmasked. And, I’m thankful I get to see them and my brother’s family for Thanksgiving as well.
I have good friends who have escaped Illinois for Wyoming. Although I’m bummed that I don’t get to see them every week for Bible study anymore, I’m thankful that, like my nieces and nephew, their daughters are able to go to school unmasked.
I’m thankful that, in the words of Samuel Adams, “it does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” Although I’m pessimistic about that happening, I’m optimistic that if liberty ever does take hold in the minds of men, it will burn like a wildfire.
And I’ll leave you with this, President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789:
“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor — and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be — That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks — for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation — for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war — for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed — for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted — for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.”
“and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions — to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually — to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed — to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord — To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us — and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.”
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