THANKFULNESS IS A CHOICE

1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Be thankful to God in all circumstances, for this is God's will for those who belong to Christ Jesus."

My husband loves to study History and we have many conversations about the impact of history on our personal lives and the world. I thought I'd share a little treasure of history facts with you as we enter the November Thanksgiving time of the year. 

Do you know which President of the United States wrote the Thanksgiving Proclamation and signed it into law?
The correct answer is Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

History records that after the battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863 as President Lincoln was waiting for the National Cemetery to be completed and dedicated, he was approached in September by Sarah Hale. Sarah had spent twenty years (over a span of 5 Presidents) lobbying to get America to make Thanksgiving Day an annual National Holiday of Remembrance but was unsuccessful until she spoke to President Lincoln.
President Lincoln agreed with Sarah that it would be a unifying act of thankfulness and very good for the country therefore, he wrote and signed the Proclamation into law on October 3 that year. One month later he would write and deliver his famous Gettysburg Address.

As I reflect on the choices these two people made as they faced personal difficulties I am encouraged and impressed to be strong and courageous. 

Here we see President Lincoln in the worst time of his Presidency during a Civil War. He has just experienced 53,000 men dying at the battle of Gettysburg over three short days in July and still this President chose to look for ways to guide his countrymen to be thankful to God. Here is the closing paragraph of the Thanksgiving Proclamation:

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of  November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widow, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

Secondly, Sarah Hale, a widow with 5 children, understood how important it was for people to be thankful that she stayed determined and focused with perseverance and strength for twenty years to inspire others to be thankful for centuries to come. She did not give up or dwell on the negative. Instead Sarah, was determined to make a positive difference in her community and country with an attitude of thankfulness. (I highly recommend reading her biography online)

I am so inspired by these two incredible people. Are you?

Did you ever read about a person experiencing a terrible tragedy and they still find things to be thankful for no matter what? How are you doing in the area of thankfulness during the good and the bad times of life? Is your speech full of positive and thankful words?

Whether you live in America or anywhere in the world, all of us can be encouraged to CHOOSE TO BE THANKFUL IN SPITE OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

Be encouraged. You can choose to be thankful no matter what you are facing today. The Bible if full of  real people with incredible courage to choose to be thankful. The Scriptures remind each one of us how to live a life of thankfulness. 
We will look at other examples throughout this month.

Begin today and everyday by keeping things simple and completing the following sentence:
Lord, every good and perfect gift is from You and today I choose to be thankful for...
Great is Your faithfulness.